In the news A Coastal Bend real estate agent spoke about a recent scam on social media.
There are criminals targeting renters and future homeowners through Facebook Marketplace.
We are seeing sales listings that they are scraping from zillow, trulia and personal websites being targeted by a scammer claiming to be the homeowner.
When realtors list home photos and details about the house become public, so it’s easy for scammers to steal them and put them on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
The scammer has the tendency to attract interested people by posting the property with a very attractive rate where people will see it and be very eager to take action and contact the poster. They use very persuasive language creating urgency for buyers to act fast.
Its prime season for scammers, so if you are in the market for a new home, make sure to look out for red flags and double check a listing you may see on Facebook or Craigslist with other sites before you inquire about it.
The scammer usually does not answer phone calls, they push you to contact them through email or text. They are very aggressive with trying to get deposits from you as well. They don’t want to let you see the house, which is a super red flag. So please report incidents like this directly when you see it taking place.
It’s always best to do your homework before renting or buying, ask the right questions, and if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. He suggests if you do see an ad like this, don’t hesitate to contact us so we can check the legitimacy for you. Let’s all look out for each other!
