Military families often face frequent relocations, moving every two to three years to new duty stations. During these transitions, they may encounter rental scams that can be difficult to detect. To avoid falling victim to these scams, it’s important to be aware of the common tactics used by scammers and take proactive steps to protect yourself.

Rental listing scams can take various forms. Scammers may steal legitimate rental listings for real properties and pose as landlords or property managers, or they might create fake listings on social media groups for non-existent or unavailable properties, including fake photos. In both scenarios, the real estate scammer will typically pressure you into paying an application fee, deposit, and/or first month’s rent, promising to provide the keys immediately. However, once you’ve made the payment, the scammer will disappear, leaving you without your money and without a place to live. Rental scams are most successful in locations with high demand from tenants, and limited supply from landlords. In a high pressure environment, it’s easy to skip steps in the due diligence process of a tenant, even by a savvy consumer.

To avoid falling victim to a rental listing scam, follow these important steps:

1. Conduct thorough online searches: Look up the rental’s address along with the name of the property owner or rental company listed. If you find multiple ads for the same address with different owner or rental company names, this is a red flag indicating a potential scam.
2. Verify the rental company’s website: Check if the property is listed on the rental company’s official website. If the property is not listed there, it’s likely a scam.
3. Use secure payment methods: Pay by credit card whenever possible, as this provides the best protection. Scammers often prefer payment methods that make it difficult to recover your money, such as gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps like Apple Pay, CashApp, PayPal, and Zelle, or cryptocurrency.
4. Inspect the property before paying: Never pay for a property you haven’t seen in person. Avoid paying someone you haven’t met face-to-face. If you’re unable to view the apartment or sign a lease before making a payment, consider asking a friend to view the property on your behalf or continuing your search for a legitimate rental opportunity.
5. Use a trusted broker or agent, but that could come at a cost, and the agent must be well known by the tenant, which isn’t likely in a new location.

By being vigilant and following these steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to a rental listing scam. Remember to trust your instincts and be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar rental listings or individuals claiming to be landlords or property managers.

We are strongly against any form of unethical practice, let alone straight scams; we, at Proxima Investors, do whatever is in our power to help save people and preserve their hard earned money from the predatory hands of scammers, and real estate scammers in particular.

Please get in touch if you think we can help! We’re happy to hear from you!