Scammers targeting potential renters in Eastern Idaho

Realtors are warning local people about a Craigslist scam targeting vacant homes for sale.

Murdock and Manwaring Realty Group said they’ve had at least three of their listings affected by this scam.

Scammers are taking on fake personas to steal money from potential renters. They’re putting ads on Craigslist, pretending to be the owner of a vacant home for sale. They claim to be angry with their realtor so instead of selling, they say they want to rent the home for an extremely low price. They then request the renter send a deposit before they will even send a key for them to tour the home. They only correspond by email and the emails they do send don’t even have proper English. Realty companies want to alert people about warning signs to avoid getting scammed.

“What they’re trying to do is they’re trying to get them to send them a deposit,” Chad Murdock of Murdock and Manwaring Realty Group, said. “And basically act quickly based on emotion to get the home under contract for a rental and then they never hear from them again.”

Murdock also says that if you are looking to rent, make sure there is no “For Sale” sign in the yard. If so, it could be a scam.