Young Couple Rents Home from Person Posing as Owner

Photo courtesy of trulia.com

We’ve all heard the phrase “buyer beware,” but a recent article about a Craigslist scam in San Francisco should serve as a warning for renters to watch their backs. According to a story at sfgate.com, two young couples were left homeless after it was discovered that the woman who had rented out the house to them was not the owner.

Replying to ad on Craigslist, the couples, who had moved to South San Francisco to attend school, agreed to pay the woman $450 per room and moved into the five-bedroom home on November 1. A few days later, two men who represented the rightful owners of the property showed up at the home and demanded that the young couples leave the property. A short time later, the police were called and it was quickly discovered that the young couples had been conned by an impostor.

Police say the impostor landlord likely scouted out vacant homes before breaking into the property and swapping out the locks, according to SF Gate. It’s also suspected the woman adopted the name of the true property owner after reviewing property records. The couples claim that the woman “looked normal” and was both nice and talkative but showed her face just once to give a tour of the home. The phone number attached to the woman is no longer in service and she has since disappeared. The couples, who have been asked to vacant the home by the property agent, are now without a place to stay and must find another apartment near their school.

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