Overview
- A renter wired about $18,600 for first and last month plus a deposit after replying to a Craigslist ad that used the same photos as a Zillow listing and attending an open house.
- The Craigslist poster posed as the property owner, collected the money through an offshore-linked account and then disappeared when the renter tried to pick up keys.
- The legitimate landlord told the renter the Craigslist ad was fake and the unit had already been rented through the real listing.
- The victim has filed reports with his bank, the receiving bank, local police, the FBI, the district attorney, the state attorney general and the mayor’s office and says quick human responses have been hard to get.
- Local agents and fraud experts say tight market pressure and the ease of copying online listings let scammers exploit high-response ads, and wired funds are often difficult to recover which leaves renters vulnerable and platforms facing pressure to improve verification.