Novice Renter Goes For The Bait, Gets Reeled In By Rent Scammer After Seeing Craigslist Ad; Victim Now $580 Poorer

In Salina, Kansas, the Salina Journal reports:

• A teen who paid a rent deposit on a house after seeing an ad on Craig's List realized she'd been scammed and didn't send more money for the first month's rent, a police department spokesman said.
  
  Capt. Mike Sweeney said the 19-year-old woman sent a Moneygram for $580 as a deposit for a house on Birch Street, but when no one met her at the house to show her the inside she became suspicious.
  
  Sweeney said she recontacted the people in Germansville, Pa., who said they were renting the house. When she was told to send more money, she instead reported the incident to police.
  
  Sweeney said the teen sent the money at 3 p.m. Jan. 9. She reported the scam Friday.
  
  Generally, Sweeney said, prospective renters can see the inside of a house or apartment before paying money to anyone. He said landlords do not typically require payment by Moneygram, but people conducting scams often do because Moneygrams can be picked up and cashed anywhere.

Source: Teen scammed out of house deposit.