How To Spot Craigslist Rental Scams To Avoid

Have you come across a Craigslist rental scam lately? Here are my tips to avoid Craigslist scams and real estate scams so that you can stay safe. Over the past few weeks, we have been searching for the perfect rental home for us to move into, but sadly we have come across many Craigslist rental…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: May 25, 2025

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Have you come across a Craigslist rental scam lately? Here are my tips to avoid Craigslist scams and real estate scams so that you can stay safe.

Over the past few weeks, we have been searching for the perfect rental home for us to move into, but sadly we have come across many Craigslist rental scams. We found many great homes, and actually signed a lease the other day on one (more information on that to come soon).

Even though we found a rental home, we came across many Craigslist scams and Craigslist rental scams firsthand. It led to us wondering “How do I avoid Craigslist rental scams?”

I only received around 10 emails back from potential landlords and three of those I knew were definitely scammers. There might have been others as well. 

Due to this, I knew I had to create a post on the topic of rental scams for people who are looking for apartments and houses on Craigslist for rent.

You can find rental scams everywhere (Craigslist, Zillow, and more), and many people are duped every single day out of hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars due to fake listings on this platform.

Interesting articles on Making Sense of Cents that you may want to read:

How do Craigslist rental scams work? How do rental scams work on Craigslist?

There are cases where the person might not actually be a scammer, but you should be on high alert if you decide to continue through with a potential rental that you are unsure about. 

Hopefully with my advice on renting on Craigslist tips below, you’ll be able to find a REAL rental.

Some scams that you may come across include:

  • Craigslist rental scams
  • Craigslist apartment scams
  • Craigslist housing scams
  • Craigslist vacation rental scams
  • Fake house ads on Craigslist
  • Rent to own scams on craigslist

If you’re wondering if Craigslist rentals are legit – yes, they are! But, you need to be careful. So, before you hand over a check, your credit card, or your driver’s license, please make sure that it is not a Craigslist home scammer that you are dealing with.

Below, you’ll learn how to spot a scammer on Craigslist.

Related: What You Need To Know About Renting A Room In Your House

What happens if you get scammed on Craigslist?

If you get scammed on Craigslist, they may be taking your rent money, security deposit, or even your personal information. Plus, they may waste your valuable time, and you may even be thinking that you are truly moving into the rental property.

This can be heartbreaking, and you definitely do not want this to happen to you.

tiny house interior - Craigslist rental scams

How can you tell if someone is scamming you on Craigslist?

There are a few ways to tell if you are dealing with a Craigslist rental poster. Here’s how to spot a rental scammer on Craigslist.

1. The “landlord” is showing you the home, but do they actually own it?

One of the many Craigslist rental scams I have been hearing about a lot lately is when a scammer seems legitimate and even shows you around the rental. You might believe they are the landlord since they somehow got into the rental, but that isn’t always the case.

Sometimes scammers will break into a back window or even steal the key from the actual landlord so they can show the rental to unsuspecting potential tenants. This can be a huge disaster, as many people will believe the scammer since they are pretending to be the landlord.

Another Craigslist scam I have heard about that is related to this is when a renter moves into a home, pays the deposit, rent, etc., only to find out weeks or months later that the actual owner is at their door. The owner might have been on a long vacation or they might have just let the home sit vacant while trying to sell it, and thieves noticed their absence only to take advantage of the situation. This can be bad as you will have to vacate immediately and you will be out of money, such as the refundable deposit you may have given to the scammer.

My Craigslist rental search tip: Always make sure the person renting out the home is the owner or the property manager.  There are many fake house ads on Craigslist. You can usually do a simple search on who owns the property by looking up city records. You also may be able to call the building’s manager (if there is one) and ask if the apartment is for rent and who is renting it.

2. A rental that seems too good to be true is often one of the many Craigslist rental scams.

This is how some rental scammers try to lure you in and an easy way to know how to spot a scammer on Craigslist. They will create a listing, make the rental sound amazing, offer it at a very low price, not require money upfront, many luxurious amenities for a low price, and so on.

Also, if it says something like smoking and pets are allowed, I would be a little cautious as well. I haven’t seen very many rentals that would just say that upfront unless they were really desperate for a renter.

This is a clue that you might be the victim of a Craigslist scam. If the landlord makes it too easy for you to live in their rental, then you need to be very careful. Scammers are often hoping that someone will be caught up in a “great deal” and come running to them with cash.

My rental search tip: Always do your research before you give anyone money. You should check other listings in the area to see if the rental is comparable and you should also see if the place is actually for rent. In most cases, it is not.

Here’s one Craigslist scam email I received (I actually received this response for two different rentals I inquired about):

How can you tell a scam on Craigslist? fake house ads on craigslist

3. A scammer wants your information or money before you view the home.

If you are asked to fill out a rental application before you view a home, then you might be in the middle of one of the many Craigslist rental scams. The scammer is hoping that you will give them personal information, such as your bank account number, social security number, or something else. They will then disappear once they receive all of this information. This is a bad situation because you basically just gave your identity away.

Also, if you are asked to give money before you are allowed to view a home or see the interior, then something is not right. This is most definitely a scam and you should avoid it. You should never have to pay loads of money in order to just view a home.

My rental search tip: You should always do your research, view the home, and more before you give out any extremely personal information. Occasionally, you may have to give your ID to the landlord, but other than that they should not need anything personal from you just to show you the rental house or apartment. Now, many times the Craigslist rental does for your email address, so that they can contact you. That is fine, simply be safe!

Here’s another Craigslist rental scam e-mail I received. This person sent me two e-mails so I just copied and pasted both e-mails into one so that you can easily read them both:

Craigslist houses for rent

4. The landlord’s email has been compromised – Big Craigslist housing scams!

One scary Craigslist rental scam I recently heard about is when all of the information in a rental listing is correct. The home is actually for rent, the e-mail and phone number are real, and more.

However, when you e-mail the landlord you believe you are actually talking to them. It turns out that you are actually talking to someone who hacked into their e-mail. This can be a scary Craigslist scam as it can be hard to detect.

My rental search tip: Even though this Craigslist rental scam seems difficult, it can be easy to overcome. You should contact the landlord via the phone number that is listed on the real listing and talk to a real person. Then, you should verify everything that was discussed in the e-mails. Most of the time, landlords have no idea that their e-mail address was even hacked.

Related: Phone Scams: The Best Tips To Avoid Becoming A Victim

5. They give you a sob story.

Some rental scammers will give you a sob story in order to make you feel bad for them. But, think about it: why would a landlord need to tell you this at all in the first place?

It’s a business for them.

If they give you some sort of sad story, then it is most likely a scam. Lots of Craigslist rental scammers will give you a sob story such as having to move to take care of family, being forced to move due to the military, or something else.

Don’t believe it.

6. Lots of typos are a red flag

If the email or the paperwork has a lot of typos, then this is usually a sign that you are dealing with a Craigslist rental scam.

So, as you are reading their emails, the home rental application, and more, check to see if there are a lot of glaring mistakes. While the grammar and everything may not be perfect, if there are a lot of obvious errors then I would be a little cautious.

Frequently Asked Questions About Craigslist Rental Scams

Below are answers to common questions about Craigslist rental scams.

How do I verify a rental on Craigslist? How can you tell a scam on Craigslist?

You may be wondering “How do you know if a rental is legit?” or “How do I make sure a Craigslist rental is real?”

There are many different things to be aware of when looking for a rental online. Here are my general tips before falling for Craigslist housing scams or Craigslist apartment scams:

  • Always make sure the person showing the home is the landlord or property manager.
  • If a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
  • If the landlord is trying to push a lot of urgency your way, then I would be wary. For example, if they say that they need someone to move in tomorrow because they are flying overseas, and that’s why they have such a good deal, then they may be a con artist.
  • Be careful with your personal information, so that you are not the victim of identity theft.
  • If anyone ever asks you to wire money, you should not. Most scammers will ask for money to be wired and this should be your first red flag that something is not right. Keep in mind that if you wire money, you CANNOT get it back. Too many people think you can get wired money back.
  • Does the listing and/or e-mail communication with the “landlord” have many misspellings? Does the e-mail refer to you as Sir or Madam? Do they say they are out of the country and cannot show you the home until you pay? Do they claim to be a missionary or a reverend? If any of these are true, then this is usually the sign of a scammer.
  • Does the person never want to meet in person? If you never meet the landlord, then it is most likely a Craigslist rental listing scam. The landlord or their property manager will want to meet you, not avoid you.
  • Do they only want you to peak through the windows in order to view the rental? This is a huge red flag if they never want to meet you and instead want you to only look through the windows. Legitimate landlords will want to meet you and rental ads that state otherwise are most likely fake.
  • Does the Craigslist home for rent seem like a really great deal? If so, you may want to ask yourself why they are offering such a great deal. Real owners don’t think you are doing them a favor. Instead, they see it as a way to make money.
  • Do they mention Western Union or receiving funds via money order? If so, then it may be a scam as scammers love to mention Western Union. You simply want to be careful if they ask for either of these.
  • Are they letting you skip any type of background check? Sometimes there are credit checks, background checks, and so on. If it is too easy to get the rental, then it is probably a scam.
  • Always trust your gut instinct as there are always other places to rent in the world.

As you can see, there are many ways to learn how to spot a rental scammer on Craigslist. There are many fake house ads on Craigslist, so you want to be careful.

Are Craigslist rentals legit? How do I know if a rental is legitimate?

Yes, Craigslist rentals cans be legitimate. I have personally found Craigslist houses to rent (and lived in it) through Craigslist.

Below, you will see how to tell if a Craigslist rental is legitimate or if it is a fake Craigslist ad, and how to spot red flags.

Are Craigslist rentals safe? Is renting from Craigslist safe?

Yes, Craigslist rentals can be safe. You simply need to follow the tips in this article so that you can stay away from Craigslist rental scams and find legitimate home rentals.

Why do people post fake rentals on Craigslist?

People post fake rental ads on Craigslist because they are scammers and are looking for easy money. Plus, some potential renters who may be looking for a new home may be a little desperate as well, because everyone needs a place to live in, of course.

Is it safe to rent a room from Craigslist?

Yes, it can be safe to rent a room from Craigslist. Follow the tips here, and make sure you get along with your potential future roommates.

You also want to be safe on Facebook Marketplace, and anywhere else where you may be looking at potential homes to rent.

What can a Craigslist scammer do with my phone number?

A scammer can use the phone number that you give them to scam others, through Google Voice. I recommend being careful with giving your phone number out.

Someone posted my house for rent on Craigslist, what do I do?

If you have a realtor or real estate agent and your house or condo are currently for sale, I highly recommend contacting them and seeing what you can do. This is because many times homes that are for sale will be listed for rent on Craigslist through a fake ad.

You should also report the fraudulent Craigslist ad to Craigslist. Doing this will help to curb Craigslist rental frauds and help anyone who may fall for the Craigslist rental scam.

You also will want to go to your local police department and attorney general to see what they can do for you as well.

How do I protect myself from Craigslist rental scams? How do I avoid getting scammed on Craigslist?

Don’t give money or any of your personal information (such as your bank account number, social security number, and so on) until you are 100% sure that it is a real rental on Craigslist.

Also, if the person requests money or your personal info from you before you even view the rental property, then I would be careful as well.

You will want to make sure you do your research before you give the person cashier’s checks, a PayPal account, or even Venmoing or sending a Zelle payment to them. Whatever way that they ask for payment, you simply want to be careful and spend your time to make sure that you are not dealing with a Craigslist scammer.

Unfortunately, there are many Craigslist rental scams on the internet which are scamming potential renters.

P.S. There are over 200 comments below (you may have to click “« Older Comments” to see all of them), and many of you have been sharing your Craigslist rental scam stories and screenshots of exact emails. This is a great way to learn how to catch a rental scammer on Craigslist. Let’s continue to help one another out, thank you!

How to spot Craigslist housing scams? How to spot a rental scammer on Craigslist? 

I hope you enjoyed today’s article on how to find Craigslist rental scams. There are definitely many fake ads out there, but do not let a Craigslist scammer deter you. There are ways to learn how to avoid rental scams on Craigslist so that you don’t get scammed.

Instead, I recommend doing your research and being careful before you hand over money or start a wire transfer. You may want to ask locals about a specific rental property, search anything you can on Google to see if the rental pops up for you (such as if you can see any complaints for that specific address), reaching out to a property management company, and more. This is so that you can make sure you are talking to the true owner of the property or whoever works for them.

After all, you don’t want to give scam artists a security deposit, Moneygram, first month’s rent, application fee, cashier’s checks, Venmo, Zelle, or whatever else they want without some verification that it is all real.

And, if a landlord asks you to send over gift cards as a form of payment, it is most likely fake and you are dealing with a Craigslist scammer. I have never, never heard of a landlord asking for a gift card as payment. It can be easy to fall for a rental scam, especially in today’s rental market where there is no rental inventory, which can lead to a lot of desperation.

Also, please be careful and watch out for Craigslist sublet scams. You can use many of the same Craigslist rental scam tips above to avoid Craigslist sublet scams.

But, there are legitimate rentals on Craigslist, you simply need to be careful. This may mean making sure to meet the property owner face-to-face, doing some research on the contact information that you are given, and more before you give a personal check and last month’s rent.

I, personally, have found a home rental on Craigslist and it was a great home. You can find Craigslist apartment rentals, Craigslist house rentals, and more that are legitimate – you just have to be careful.

What Craigslist rental scams and Craigslist apartment scams have you seen or heard about? Have you wondered how Craigslist rental scams work? Have you ever been the victim of any type of scam?


Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Meghan

    I once had a ‘too good to be true’ rental scam. The listing sounded and looked amazing online, but when I asked to see the apartment they said I needed to send them money and they would send me the keys. Nice try.

  2. Smarter than the SCAMMER

    Glad I came across this post, Was looking for a home to rent on CL and he wants all of my information, He is conveniently in another state and can not show the inside of the property but assures me that is is all newly updated..Once I send him the application back (with all of my information on it) and the deposit of 1st and last months rent totaling @2000 he will Fed Ex me the keys… LOL Yea right.. that’s not happening.. That is HORRIBLE to try and SCAM someone out of their money.

  3. Careful buyer

    This just happened to me and my fiance from a Craigslist ad. We were contacted by the “mother” of the “landlord”, who actually showed the house to us and didn’t know a single thing about the place and claiming her “daughter” had been out of the country in Bermuda, giving us a number to contact. We, fortunately, didn’t give out any personal information, thinking it was inappropriate for the landlord to ask for banking information on a “rental application”. Once she found out my fiance was law enforcement, she discontinued any contact with us, except to inform us that the unit was “rented,” even though ensuring us the day before that we were the only interested renters. Now that we look back on this experience, we can recall a lot of things that didn’t add up. We are better prepared now that we know what can go wrong with rental scams. Buyers beware and always stick to your gut instinct if you feel you are being hassled!

  4. Wow

    Wow, thank you so much for this article. I’ve just received a reply, and since I’ve just graduated high school and this is the first time moving by myself, I almost got fooled! The “landlord” claimed he’s in China as a missionary and he’d send me the keys later on after I fill out the form and give him a copy of my photo ID. Since I’m Christian too, I thought it was reasonable and I didn’t realise how ridiculous his offer (and his grammar for someone who has an English surname) was until I read this. I was just about to send the email, but I just decided to google craigslist scams just to be safe, and thank God I did. Thank you so much for this.
    Plus in the ad, he said the apartment is only 32 square metres and the apartment in the pictures he’d shown me looked like 4 times than that.

    1. Wow

      Just to add, with a little bit of google image search, I realised that the picture he’d sent me belonged to an apartment in California. I live in New Zealand.

  5. Rebecca

    I was almost either scammed or stripped of my identity with a Craig’s Lister for $900 room in Pacifica with a lady who didn’t give me her apartment number, last name, property management company name, landlord owner info. a move in date or even a mention of copy of keys.

    When I requested the following:
    1. Scheduled meeting with the landlord
    2. Leasing Agreement and paperwork

    She flipped out on me and said:

    “You know what I have all the authorities to rent the room but my landlord is busy person she only asked for social security to look the record ! You know what you ask a lot forget the room is no anymore on rent you can look other place thanks”

    She is either a rental scam, identity thief or renting out the room without the landlord’s permission. All in all just bad, bad, bad…. Be careful out there! After this, I am not using Craig’s List anymore Room.me seems like a better option they have RentPal that protects both parties.

    1. Amy

      I don’t know about room.me, but I have had at least 10 requests where they asked me to fill out an application via a provided link. When you click on the link, it routes through a few different addresses and then lands you at roomster.com. I researched this site, and they are almost 100% scams. Some of the people that just wanted to get my email address or phone number were doing this to sell to roomster.com or to receive a referral bonus. Don’t trust that site either. A local ministry group in the suburbs of north Atlanta told me that they only legitimate one they know is OK is roommate.com. The only thing that bothers me about them is that you have to pay to actually read replies to any inquiries you send out. I do personally know someone that has found good roommates through that site a couple of times. You fill out a profile and they match – kinda like a dating site, I guess. Anyways, it looks like I am going to have to give in and pay for that one since i have verification that it is legit. I really hope these people aren’t wrong about that…. I never thought it would be so difficult to find a room rental since I am disabled, work part-time with variable income, and have a dog that doesn’t get along with other dogs or any other pet, I guess. I have been homeless for almost 4 months because i can’t find anything I can afford. Good luck to all seekers – just be careful with your info.

  6. Stranger

    I was just showed a room in a house. She lives there, her kids live there, they know her name or at least the name she gave me, her daughter opened the door, she had a kid in a playpen. Her mother, who I had contacted on the phone and gave me the address to go see the room, showed me the two rooms. One looked like utter crap but the other one looked semi decent Nothing was in room and no one lived in it. She wanted deposit and I foolishly gave it to her. 30 days later I call and say I am ready to move in. She starts by asking me why i didn’t call her back she said she called numerous times, left voicemails. That is a lie. She kept saying ‘why didn’t you call me?’ said she was in California and that the room wouldn’t be available till July. Then said someone is on the other line and hung up. I have tried reaching her and she will not answer. Obviously I do not want to move there at all at this point, and I don’t think she is in California Is there anything I can do? Tell the police? Anything? I believe it is a scam and it’s weird she showed me the place. Any and all help will be appreciated.

  7. Grace Hansen

    Thank you for posting this! I got almost an identical email while looking for apartments in Asheville, NC. The crazy thing is, I think the scammer was even using the legal name of the actual property owner because I found a voter record for the name and address but nothing else added up.

    Here’s the message I got:
    “Thanks for showing interest , the property is available for rent to own and move-in ASAP, due to my job factor am in CA
    I am currently working as a counselor for the United States Aid for International Development (US-AID).at the moment and am gonna be here for about 3 years or more my name is MARY KATHERINE BACKUS the owner of the property located at — ———————- which as just been recently renovated, the neighborhood is lovely and am sure you gonna like it there, the property is about 1,345sqft with 3beds,1bath,I wanted to sell it out but due to some factor about the realtor I was working with before I decided not to sell it again, the agents are not truthful about handling things and I am looking to handle things myself now the best way I can . Am looking for someone that will take care of the property as if it was there own, someone that will be very neat, take good care of the property for me and make payment of rent with no delay pet are allowed as long as they are not destructive the rent is $700 and security down-payment is $1000. Thanks will be looking forward for your reply

    MARY KATHERINE BACKUS”

    1. Adriena Lewis

      I got this same email word for word but different name. They actually had me sign the lease before I sent a paymemt and kept in contact with me. I sent the payment and no key. I’m out of 1200 dollars wish I would have found this sooner. The house is actually pencil a sell right now.

  8. Tenaya

    Haha she tried to get me the email I got back:

    Thank you very much for your interest regarding our home for rent. I will Like to let you know that our home is still available for rent and you can drive by or take a walk to View it for yourself. Like to also let you know that right Now we are actually out of town on a church visit to Birmingham, Alabama it came up as an urgent call so we had to go for it and our visit here will last about seven(7) good weeks because it is a church program as we are launching a new branch here and I and my Husband happen to be two of the leading members of the church. We Like you also understand that we are not into agents because last time my husband employed realtor agent they put price of our house above what we told them to rent for us just to make selfish gains so we decided this time we wont employ them to rent out for us and because we really need a tenant in our home and not just the money but someone who can take good care of our home like his own home to rent to as soon as possible. I will also Like to let you know that we are people of God and peaceful people we do not allow smoking or disturbing of neighbors like partying and so we hope you understand that pets are allowed as long as they are not destructive,. We have had a bad tenant once before who damaged things in our home and refused to pay up rents while we where away on Church visit to Canada only to come back he had run away with keys and document because I promise to deal with him by calling the cops.. This is the physical address to our 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house with 1,282 sqft: 146 Guilford Frg, Universal City, TX 78148 and you pay utilities which is already included in the price of the month rent which is compulsory. We hope you are aware of the price of the month rent $650 which is already on site? the security deposit is $350 plus fee for rental application form which equals $390.
    Please note that you are paying 40 dollars to fill the rental application form and which you can make during the payment of security deposit upon been selected as our new tenant in our home.
    Get back to us for a request for Application form so we can send it to you.
    Thank you and God bless you.

    contact: 205 289 0989

    Mrs. Tracey Hil

  9. Bruno

    Same thing is happening to me here in a Berlin…
    I’m catching them really easy.
    I spotted the ones with huge spelling mistakes plus wanting money through Western Union.
    To which I replied I have paid my rentals and deposits all my life by bank transfer and that’s how I intended to keep doing. No more replies…
    Then there’s all the people that are out of Berlin, with the keys, can’t show the property beforehand but are wanting to rent it… well hang on a minute… how do we do then if you’re in Africa (yes the priest missionary thing), or in Finland, or in Edinburgh or wherever… do I just do a Star Trek trick and teleport myself inside and outside of the flats?
    Now I just caught two, that are sending me pictures and addresses
    And I’m checking all addresses on Google Maps satellite view and street views.
    Plus check it also on Google Earth
    Plus I’m passing all picture through 8 different engines to reverse search any image.
    Call me paranoid, I don’t care… fact is I caught two more
    One is telling me the entrance is independent, ground floor, etc… lovely cozy house pics… but not one time said his/hers name, but already asked huge list of my details
    Google Maps street view shows me a huge all glass building, full of companies and offices. So I asked where was the ground floor entrance to my flat, I was confused…
    (About 12 screenshots attached to my emails to them… I bet I won’t get any rep,y back!)
    Another sends me pics of a flat that in one picture there is abig window and the view shows tall red brick building across the street… look up the address on Google Maps and use steeet view… and it shows me a quiet street with chalet type houses.
    No fall red brick building in sight… so I use the reverse image engine apps and turns out they are sending me pictures of an hotel in a Berlin.
    It’s unbelievable this… thank god I have not given any detail to anyone and thank god as well that my gut feeling started to think there was something wrong…
    I strongly advise to look as well on Google reverse image search engine. And see if it’s what they announce.
    What’s worst, I don’t understand how Craigslist doesn’t check these vendors?
    I’m telling… in Berlin there are hundreds and hundreds of ads for rentals this type… what a shame!
    All I want and need is to find a nice flat and instead I am wasting my time and efforts the last 48h
    Great article and blog by the way
    Thoroughly enjoyed it!
    Thanks
    B

  10. 0Esmeray

    hi all just off the phone on Skype i got crazy angry

    I was searching for a room in Paris, off course as you guess come across very nice and affordable one
    the owner asked me to send deposit 500 Euros first and then he was going to send me keys from Manchester
    when I asked why youre there
    He answered for job he moved to Manchester
    Today he told me okey im sending the keys
    “sent ” the key (ı really donnow what he sent)
    there was an email in my spam box which says it is sent by Benin DHL
    when i saw Benin which should be Manchester, I woke up that this is scam …
    so my question how he was going to make sham by this
    ????

    1. Max

      I imagine he sent you an old key that opens nothing that you could ever find and you would send him 500 Euros for it before getting to Paris and realizing you didn’t actually have a key to an apartment.

  11. Amy

    What part of the rental description are you copying? There is typically a title/header, but then the ad itself can sometimes be lengthy and they rarely give an address. So much of the time, they list the city as one thing and then the map shows a totally different area.

    1. Phids

      Just copy and past a sentence or two from the body of the listing and that should be enough to find duplicates.

  12. Tom R.

    A real person named Florien Rotardier is a real scammer and is playing his scams for all over France, through rental websites, using other persons (male and female) names. I was victim of him while trying to rent an appartment there and I didn’t have time to see that it was a scam before already sending him “caution” money on his Western Union account.
    If you search on Google, there’s a possible picture of the scammer online…be aware, this s**t just took me 300 Euros!

  13. Jalle

    I ran into the same problem here when trying to find appt in Berlin.
    This whole Craiglist is completely useless !!
    Can someone just shut it down ??!?

  14. Fart

    One thing I have noticed more recently is that they reply via email ask you to give them your email address so they can send you details (as if they can’t send them via the Craig’s list anonimous reply), or they reply asking you to go to another site like Roomster so they can scam you there. It’s too bad that Craigslist is becoming what economists call a lost lead. Neither legitimate landlords or legitimate renters can find each other in the sea of scams that exist in some major cities where Craig’s list has sites.

  15. Jessie L.

    Just got this e-mail in reply to an inquiry in Boulder. Note the terrible punctuation for someone who works for “UNDP.”

    Thanks for your interest and inquiries about my house. Yes the house is still available for rent and we are looking for a responsible person/family to occupy and maintain the house now that we are not around.I work with the united nations development program(UNDP)Edinburgh Scotland and i just got a transfer that is bringing me down to West Africa .Myself and my Family just travelled to West Africa for the programm.My transfer would be for a period between 2-3 years, so i would definitely be renting my house to whom ever that will take good care of it.

    Also how long do you intend to stay? How soon do you intend to move in?FEATURES:Laundry, Electric Range, Electric Heat, Master Bedroom, Playground, Car Park.AMENITIES: Air Conditioning, Patio/Party Deck, Cable TV, Ceiling Fans, 24 hours Internet service, Dishwasher, Fire pit, Garbage Disposal, Microwave, security alarm, Pets Friendly, Refrigerator, Washer / Dryer.

    DETAILS ABOUT THE HOUSE
    Number of bedrooms:3
    Number of bathrooms:2
    Rental price: $750 per month and security Deposit is $650 (Security Deposit is Refundable)

    Utilities included in monthly rent Pets Welcome
    House address:3020 13th St,Boulder, CO 80304

    SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE RENT APPLICATION FORM BELOW
    RENT QUESTIONNAIRE

    1)Your Full Name?
    2)Your Full Address?
    3)Phone Number?
    4)Are you married ?
    5)Age & Email Address ?
    6)How many people will be living in the house?
    7)Do you have a pet?
    8)Do you have a car?
    9)Occupation?
    10)When will you like to move in?
    11)How long are you willing to stay in the property?
    12)Picture of the occupant If Available?
    13)When are you ready to Move In?
    14)How Many Months are you willing to rent?
    15) How many months rent can you pay upfront? Minimum ( 1month +
    SECURITY DEPOSIT) or (2months + SECURITY DEPOSIT)(or you have only the refundable security deposit to move in first?)so which option do you prefer ???

    Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that I can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Awaiting your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you. We may not see, yet we are only putting everything into Gods hand, kindly do not let us down in your taking care of our property and God bless you more as you do this Amen.contact details:+2348090800960

    Best Regards…

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Thank you for sharing! This helps everyone.