Ohio Renter Taken For $1,100 By Phony Landlord; Responded To Scam Ad Posted On Craigslist

In Columbus, Ohio, WBNS-TV Channel 10 reports:

• The foreclosure crisis is drumming up business for criminals looking to scam people out of money, and 10 Investigates has uncovered a new scam where thieves pose as landlords and rent property that does not belong to them. Tim Dodge and his family fell victim to the scheme.

• According to Dodge, the trouble started when he logged onto the Web site Craigslist to look for new home to rent. He browsed through listings and found a three-bedroom house in Grove City for $550 a month. "When I first pulled into the driveway, I looked around and said, 'It looks kind of cheap,'" Dodge said.

• A short time later he met with the woman who listed the property, signed a lease, and handed over cash to cover the rent, 10 Investigates' Paul Aker reported. "I paid her $1,100 up front for the first two months rent," Dodge said. Then, on the same day that Dodge and his family were moving into the home, he learned that he had been duped. That's when the home's owner [...] showed up.

For more, see Scammers Evolve, Use Craigslist To Pose As Landlords.

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