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5 Signs a Craigslist Rental Listing is Fake

Monday, January 29, 2018   /   by Sean Zanganeh

5 Signs a Craigslist Rental Listing is Fake




You're on Craigslist looking for a rental. As you're skimming listings in the $2,000 range for one particular area, you suddenly see one for $1,200 a month.

Too good to be true? In many cases, yes.

Century 21 Award agent Nancy Beck, who specializes in University City properties, came across this just three months ago. Someone cloned one of her sales listings in that area, taking everything from the specs to property photos. What changed was the home's price and its status from a sale to a rental.

"People would call me after seeing my listing for a super-low price," Beck said. "It would create a frenzy, and people would drive by the listing, see that it was for sale" and follow up with a phone call to Beck.

The Union-Tribune talked to Kayla Roeder, vice president of Cambridge Management Group in San Diego, who shared some signs that a rental listing is likely a scam.

The person renting out the property:

  1. Does not have the keys to the home and cannot show it to you.

  2. Doesn't do credit checks.

  3. Deals only in cash, which makes fraud untraceable.

  4. Tells you to fill out an application without letting you see the home first.

  5. Lists the property at a price that's drastically lower than those of comparable homes in the area.


To read more about this article check out the Union Tribune's website!

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My San Diego Dream Home
Sean Zanganeh
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San Diego, CA 92130
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