Cops Warn Tenants, Unwitting Handymen Of Rent Swindles Using Vacant Homes As Bait, Requesting "Cash Only" Deposits, Touting Great Deals On Craigslist

In Fairfax County, Virginia, The Washington Post reports:

• Hand the deposit to a cleaning guy. Cash only. No need to sign a lease. If the rental agreement sounds a little shady, that’s because it is, and you’ll never actually get a place to live, Fairfax County police said [].

• Detectives are looking into a scam that could be linked to swindles in Alexandria, Richmond, Washington, New York and Miami. "Once you hand your cash over, the money is gone," said Officer Tawny Wright, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Police Department. Police have arrested two men in the case so far: Richard Armstrong, 29, of the 8500 block of Brooks Street NE, in Washington, and Christopher Stanley, 27, of the 100 block of West 3rd Street in Frederick.

• According to Wright, the swindle unfolds when the suspect places an advertisement on Craigslist, touting a great deal on a rental property, with no credit check required. What the victims don’t know is that the property is actually in foreclosure, and isn't really a rental.(1)

Source: Police issue warning on rental scam.

(1) According to the story, Wright said the suspects first enlist an unsuspecting cleaning person or handyman to go do work at the property. When this person shows up and finds it locked, he or she calls back to the suspect, who convinces the person to force himself or herself inside. Then the victim shows up. Arraignments are made to give a cash deposit to the cleaner or handyman, who takes a small cut and sends the rest on to the schemer, Wright said. Police said they have found "multiple occurrences" of the scam, and in one case used an undercover officer to make an arrest. They are encouraging citizens to be on guard for cash-only, no-signed lease arrangements.