GREEN BAY, Wis — The Better Business Bureau estimates that over 40 percent of people looking for a rental property online encounter a fake ad, produced by scammers.
Today NBC26 met a De Pere woman who says that's exactly what happened to her in Green Bay. Chris Swille says she found a home for rent on craigslist.com and sent the so-called landlord an 800 dollar security deposit. Swille says shortly thereafter the communication with the perceived to be landlord stopped once she discovered that someone had bought the home and had moved in.
"Don't do anything over email unless you talk to them in person. Don't give money until you know for sure. He gave us information that we asked for and we thought it was real," says Swille.
The Better Business Bureau says you should always get a tour of the home from the landlord before putting any deposit down. For more red flags that the rental property you’re looking at may not be legitimate, check out this link to the Better Business Bureau’s website.
