DENVER – Kerry Chen is not a fan of strangers creeping into her back yard, milling around, driving by or ringing the door bell, hoping to rent the home she just bought.
“It was definitely kind of stressful and concerning,” she said. “Since this is a new neighborhood for us, I’ve never lived in Denver before. I didn’t really know what to expect.
The Chens closed on their first home in Park Hill in May. As recent as June 5, a Craigslist ad was posted listing Chen's home for-rent. The ad used a similar description for the home as the one used to list it as "for-sale" on online real estate listing services.
Chen said they noticed something was off as soon as they started moving in.
“The creepiest [thing] was our electrician was here, and we had the back gate open, and somebody actually went into the back gate and was trying to look inside of our back door,” Chen said. “Since that’s actually on the property all the way...normally is closed off and you can’t get to it...unless you’re inside the home. For me that was probably the creepiest, the biggest invasion of privacy and space.”
Over the last two weeks, Chen said she and her husband have gotten a few door rings and knocks and people milling outside the home.
“Finally, someone who came to the door asking us if the house was for rent decided to show us the Craigslist ad saying that it was for rent,” Chen said. “I was like, 'That's our house.' Sure enough, the pictures were the same, anything you can find on Zillow or Redfin.”
The ad listed the home at $850 per month.
"[That] is pretty awesome for a fully updated home and about 1,800 square feet of livable space in Denver,” Chen said.
Chen sent an email to the alleged scammer who had listed her home on Craigslist.
The alleged scammer responded to Chen with: “I AM DEAF, and I have been transferred out of state for job on a contract, am spending 2 - 3 years and am planning to buy another house over here., I want you to know that you are free to go to the house and view the vicinity but you wont be able to go in because the keys are with me here. If you like the house we can now move forward on how to get key sent to you.... I'm ready to accept either monthly or upfront mode of payment..Depending on the one you're most Comfortable with.”
Several people, including Chen’s real estate agent Stella Wirsig, reported the scam to Craigslist and, as of Friday, the ad was taken down.
“Who knows, somebody might show up in a month with a moving truck thinking that they're moving in our house,” Chen said. “That's certainly a possibility if they've already paid money to this person and have gone along with the scam. Hard to say.”
The Chens also made a sign and put it on their front door to address the numerous people coming to the home.
“The sign says, 'Sorry this house is not for rent beware of Craigslist scammers please flag and report. Thank you,'” Chen said.
The previous homeowner, Federico Hernandez-Cortez, told 9NEWS, much to his surprise, some people interested in renting the home also called him. He told them the home is for-sale, not for-rent.
His name was on the rental listing.
“It is scary for me,” he said. “You get upset and then you get nervous. What happens if they do something else, you know?"
According to the Better Business Bureau Serving Denver and Boulder, in the past year, the BBB has received four Scam Tracker tips about rental scams posted on online classifieds. Those have amounted to more than $50,000 in losses.
Wirsig also provided suggestions to help future renters avoid being scammed:
1) Have face-to-face interaction with the person who is renting out the home.
"A person who is unable to show you the home because "the keys are with them out of town or in a different place" or any other reason should raise red flags. If you live out of town, try to find someone who can do the tour for you or request a FaceTime or Skype tour. It may be inconvenient but being able to have a face to face conversation and the ability to tour the inside of the home greatly diminishes the chances of it being a scam."
2) Never wire funds.
"Very rarely do property management companies or property owners demand a wire. Wires are the easiest way for people to receive money with no way of tracking who and where the money actually went."
3) Refuse background checks or releasing any private information until you have met the landlord/employer.
4) If there is a real estate sign in the yard, don't hesitate to call that number and verify with the real estate agent that the homeowner has actually decided not to sell the home and to rent it out.
5) Use common sense, and trust your instincts.
"Don't be so consumed by the 'amazing deal' that you ignore the possibility that this might all just be too good to be true. This is the best way scammers are able to get people to send over funds without ever going inside the home because they're enticed but the unbelievably low rent. If it's too good to be true, it probably is."
“If anything seems suspicious or odd, there's a great chance you're right,” Wirsig added.
