Police warn about housing scammers on Craigslist
BOZEMAN, Mont. - The fall semester is getting into full swing and college students might still be looking for apartments. Police warn students to be on the lookout for possible housing scams.
Scammers cheat people out of millions of dollars each year. Many of those scams can be found on Craigslist in the housing sections. They can seem real because they can feature photos of the property and even an address. Fraud experts warn this information can be taken from a real estate company website.
Scammers target all age groups, but having a university close by can be attractive to them. Students are often inexperienced renters who want to find something quick and easy.
Sergeant Travis Munter at the Bozeman Police Department says dealing with online scammers isn't easy.
"We can help the person determine whether or not it is scam. We do take reports on them and we compile data, but a lot of that stuff is going to be well out of our jurisdiction."
Police say meeting with someone face-to-face is the best way to avoid being scammed. If something sounds too good to be true or something doesn't feel right, they say it's best to just walk away. Craigslist warns users to never wire or accept money, never give out personal information and to never believe something is guaranteed.
