Rental Scam Quiz

Does the price seem to low for the neighborhood?

• Yes it seems to good to be true
• No the price appears right.

Scammers want lots of leads so they make the price really low.

If Google Street View is available do the photos match?

• No the exterior photos does not match
• I can't tell because there is no exterior photos
• Yes they match
• I don't know how to use Google Street View or it isn't available

Use Google Street view to see if the exterior photo matches.

Is there a free email being used?

• Yes. Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, Hotmail etc.
• No

"mcknightjamesmgt@yahoo.com"

Scammers use free email accounts that they can hide behind.

Does the rental exist elsewhere with a different address or photos?

• Yes
• No

Take one random sentence from the listing and place it in Google with quotes and see if you get results back with different addresses or photos.

Scammers are lazy and will reuse rental descriptions they know work.

Is the owner a missionary, reverend, or doctor?

• Yes
• No

"Reverend Michael Wells"

Scammers like to look as trustworthy as possible.

Does the owner match the County Assessors Office records?

• No, the person I am dealing with has a different name then what is shown on the county assessors office.
• Yes
• I can't find my county's assessors website.

You can search online to find the true owner of the rental .

Is rental description poorly formatted?

• Yes, it reads choppy.
• No, it is well worded

Scammers don't waste time checking their formatting.

Do the photos seem to be a bit off?

• Yes. ie. decorated like a ski condo but located in Miami
• No the photos appears right.

This picture taken from a ski resort condo placed in a Miami ad.

Is there a phone number listed on the rental listing?

• None provided
• Yes, but no one answers or it was the wrong number
• Yes, I talked with the person

Scammers typically don't want to give away their accent on the phone.