Metro Detroit Authorities Alert Would-Be Tenants To "Phony Landlord" Rent Scams Using Hijacked Homes

In Oakland County, Michigan, the Daily Tribune reports:

• A 30-year-old professional chef from Keego Harbor fell in love with a house in Berkley that she saw listed for rent on the Web site Craigslist. She especially liked its kitchen. But it turned out the house was not really for rent, and the woman nearly fell prey to a scam that's targeting renters in Oakland County and elsewhere.

• Authorities say the scam artists pose as homeowners looking to rent out their houses. They often pick a house that's for sale so it's not occupied, and post a real picture of the property with a "for rent" advertisement on Craigslist, an online classified service.

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• Berkley Public Safety Detective Sgt. Michael Crum has taken nine or 10 reports of similar scams since the end of May. In two of those, people lost money, he said. [...] Crum said scammers also will sometimes open the lockbox on the outside of the door of a house for sale, take the key inside and make a duplicate. The duplicate key will be given to the renter, who moves in — to the shock of the real estate agent who is listing the house. Crum said the scam has happened in other states, such as South Carolina and California, and now seems to be hitting the metro Detroit area.

For the story, see Authorities warn of rental home scams. KappaPhonyLandlordScam