FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Fairfield police are warning residents to beware of rental scams after two people were scammed out of thousands of dollars when looking to move into a home.
The victim filled out a form to request a tour of the location listed for sale on Zillow and was contacted by the "realtor" telling them they could move in the next day if they put a deposit down, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
When the victim arrived at the property, they found the door unlocked and were told another family had just viewed the property. After touring the property with the "realtor" on the phone, the victim transferred money totaling around $3,000 for the application fee, rent and deposit.
The victim only realized they were scammed after seeing the same home listed in another Zillow ad for a different price, prompting them to call police, according to officials.
Another victim called the department detailing a similar situation, losing a total of $3,450 before realizing it was a scam.
"With advances in technology, there's been an increase in criminals posting rental listings to reputable sites in an attempt to trick potential renters out of their money," the department warned in a press release.
Police suggest looking for these tips to protect yourself from being scammed:
- Tour the location before paying a security deposit or move-in fee. Tour in person or request a real-time video tour of the space.
- Try to meet the "realtor" in person so you can identify the landlord. A legitimate landlord or realtor will make sure they, or a local representative/property manager, can meet you in person.
- Scammers will request a deposit before a lease has even been signed. Never send money without having signed a lease first.
- Scammers will often request that deposits be made through apps like CashApp or Zelle.
- Watch out for obvious typos and grammatical errors.
- Finally, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
If you fall victim to a rental scam in Fairfield, call (707) 428-7300 or file a report HERE.
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