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Renter questions listings as potential scams
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North Las Vegas, NV (KTNV)- A woman looking to rent a house could've fallen into a scammer's trap had she not noticed some red flags with the lister she was emailing. She contacted Action News wanting to make Las Vegas a better place to live by putti Video by ktnv.com
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North Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- A woman looking to rent a house could have fallen into a scammer's trap had she not noticed some red flags with the lister she was emailing. She contacted Action News wanting to make Las Vegas a better place to live by putting out a warning to other potential renters.
It sounded like a great deal. $650 a month for a 3 bedroom home. But when this woman emailed different listers and got back similar responses she started wondering what's up.
Jennifer Kuelzer is looking for a new place to rent. She went to a popular place to find rental properties; Craigslist.com.
"So many of the ads are just Realtors, or people that put out, that's all they do is put out these Craiglist ads and it's hard to get a good deal from them," says Kuelzer.
Contacting several possibilities two listers replied back, but their messages sent off warnings in Jennifer's head.
"Written in kind of almost broken English, and from another country. He says he doesn't live here, but he owns the house and he needs somebody to look after the house," says Kuelzer.
Incorrect English from the supposed lister like, "..am looking for an quick responsible and honesty tenant that...as soon as possible he/she move in."
"And they also mention West Africa, and I know that there's email scams that come out of there."
The second email was similar to the first. Both even forwarded questionnaires.
"They both wanted a lot of personal information," says Kuelzer.
This a potential scam seen often by the Nevada Department of Business and Industry.
"I would caution persons to trans vent money to someone they've never met and they haven't had a chance to fully vet," says director Terry Johnson.
While Jennifer avoided this seemingly treacherous pitfall, she shudders to think of the consequences her and others may face who aren't as attentive.
A good thing to do is to check the county assessor's website to make sure the person you're speaking with actually owns the property.
You can also go to here for more tips.
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