HE
HE AND
HE AND HIS WIFE ALSO VOLUNTEER WITH THE STUDIO.
PLEASE KEEP THEM IN YOUR
THOUGHTS TONIGHT.
THOUGHTS TONIGHT. >>> NOW, WE MOVE ON TO A TOPIC
THAT YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT.
YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT IT ONLINE,
REALLY, YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT
EVERYWHERE.
EVERYWHERE. RENTAL SCAM WARNINGS.
YOU SEE, ADRIAN FOUND OUT ABOUT
A VERY RECENT CASE THAT GIVES
US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO A COUPLE
OF PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY.
AND, OPEN UP A CONVERSATION
THAT WILL TRY TO HELP US WHEN
IT COMES TO FINDING A PLACE TO
RENT.
RENT.
RENT. IT
RENT. IT WAS A BEAUTY.
>> WE CAME ACROSS THIS AMAZING
LOOKING HOUSE ON CRAIGSLIST.
>> WOODEN FLOORS, IT HAD
DIFFERENT COLOR WALL SCHEMES.
>> Reporter: A DREAM HOME FOR
DOMINIC.
DOMINIC.
DOMINIC. >> ONE OF THE ROOMS HAD TWO
CLOSETS, BOTH OF THEM LOOKED
PRETTY SPACIOUS.
PRETTY SPACIOUS. MY ROOM WAS KIND OF A WALK-IN.
>> Reporter: AND HIS FRIEND,
LUIS.
LUIS.
LUIS. >>
LUIS. >> THE FULL BASEMENT, TOO.
IT WAS A SPACIOUS BASEMENT WITH
A WASHER AND DRYER.
>> Reporter: ON CHRISTMAS EVE,
LEWIS POSTED ON FACEBOOK, AFTER
BEING DENIED LEFT AND RIGHT, WE
FINALLY GOT OUR OWN CRIB.
BEST GIFT EVER.
>> RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
>> THAT WAS THE BEST CHRISTMAS
EVER.
EVER.
EVER. >>
EVER. >> Reporter: BUT THAT PLEASURE
TURNED TO PAIN.
AFTER ABOUT FOUR NIGHTS IN THE
HOUSE, NEWS THEY NEVER EXPECTED.
>> I WAS DEVASTATED, IT TURNED
OUT TO BE A SCAM.
THE AGENT FROM THE ACTUAL
PROPERTY ENDED UP COMING OVER
THERE FOUR DAYS LATER.
>> Reporter: THE TWO SAID THEY
FOUND THE SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS
HOME THROUGH AN AD ON
CRAIGSLIST.
CRAIGSLIST. AFTER MOVING IN, LUIS AND
DOMINIC SAID A MAN, WHO
IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS AN AGENT
WITH RENTERS WAREHOUSE, SHOWED
UP TO DO SOME MAINTENANCE WORK.
THAT MAN TOLD THEM THE HOME WAS
NEVER RENTED, AND THEY NEEDED
TO LEAVE.
TO LEAVE.
TO LEAVE. SO, HOW DID THEY GET THE KEY?
>> WE WALKED THROUGH THE STEPS
TO GET THE KEY OUT OF A LOCKBOX
THROUGH AN APP THAT LEVI
DOWNLOADED.
DOWNLOADED. WHEN WE GOT THE ACCESS CODE AND
UNLOCKED IT, IT HAD THE KEY AND
GOT INTO THE HOUSE, WE FELT
LIKE IT WAS REAL.
>> Reporter: RED FLAG NUMBER
ONE, THE MAN LICKED TO THE AD
ON CRAIGSLIST COULD NOT SHOW
THEM THE PROPERTY.
SO, THEY COMMUNICATED VIA TEXT
AND PHONE CALLS.
AND, WHEN LEWIS AND DOMINIC SO
THEY WANTED THE HOUSE, THEY
PAID A DEPOSIT VIA CASH UP AND
SIGNED THE SALISH THIS LEASE
ELECTRONICALLY.
ELECTRONICALLY. >> WE SENT OVER THE MONEY
BECAUSE HE WAS ON THAT.
HE WAS LIKE, ARE YOU IN THERE?
CAN YOU SEND OVER THE MONEY
NOW?
NOW?
NOW? THE
NOW? THE FULL DEPOSIT WAS NOT $100,
BUT WE ONLY HAD 450 AT THE TIME.
>> RENT WAS ONLY 1000.
>> 1000 A MONTH.
WE COULD AFFORD THAT.
SO THAT IS WHAT WE WENT FOR.
BUT, SKIMMED.
BUT, SKIMMED. >> WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?
>> HOUSE HOPPING.
>> YEAH, HOUSE HOPPING, FAMILY
MEMBERS, FRIENDS.
MEMBERS, FRIENDS. THAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNITY, RIGHT?
COMMUNITY, RIGHT? HAVING PEOPLE THAT LOVE YOU AND
KNOWING THAT YOU CAN DEPEND ON
WHEN YOU ARE IN A TIME OF NEED.
>> MEANWHILE, POSTS ON
CRAIGSLIST THAT ARE MARKED
SUSPICIOUS CAN STAY UP ON THE
SITE FOR AS LONG AS 20 HOURS.
IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE AD THEY
RESPONDED TO WAS MARKED AS
SUSPICIOUS.
SUSPICIOUS. IN THE SPIRIT OF MAKING US ALL
ASK SOME REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS
BEFORE SIGNING ON THE DOTTED
LINE, HERE ARE A FEW MORE
RECOMMENDATIONS TO HOPEFULLY
PROTECT YOURSELF.
PROTECT YOURSELF. FIRST, IF THE RENTAL PRICE
SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, AND
CHEAP, IT IS PROBABLY A SCAM.
SECOND, THEY WANT YOU TO PUT
DOWN MONEY, EVEN BEFORE YOU SEE
THE APARTMENT OR HOUSE, THIRD,
THEY ARE CHARGING AN ABNORMALLY
LARGE SECURITY DEPOSIT, IN MANY
STATES, IT IS ILLEGAL FOR A
LANDLORD TO CHARGE 1 TO 2
MONTHS RENT AS A SECURITY
DEPOSIT.
DEPOSIT.
DEPOSIT. AND, WE ARE SORRY TO INFORM
YOU, MINNESOTA IS NOT ONE OF
THOSE STATES, BUT YOU SHOULD
CHECK WITH THE CITY YOU WANT TO
RENT IN, THEY MAY HAVE SET
THEIR OWN PRICE CAP.
>> THE HARD PART ABOUT THESE
RENTAL SCAMS IS THAT THEY
CHANGE SO FAST, RIGHT?
I WAS VICTIM TO ONE ABOUT A
DECADE AGO, AND IT WAS THE TOO
GOOD TO BE TRUE PRICE.
THAT YOU ARE SO EXCITED, YOU
THINK YOU CAN LIVE SOMEWHERE
NICE.
NICE.
NICE. BUT, NO GOOD.
>> WE LOOKED FOR THAT AD ON
CRAIGSLIST, IT IS NOT THERE.
>> I HAVE HEARD THAT, SOMETIMES
THE POP UP AND GO AWAY AS SOON