SCAM ALERT: Con artists can be crafty. Please use caution and don’t fall for their elaborate schemes.
Within the past year, we have been notified that several of our for-sale listings have appeared as homes for rent on Craigslist. Scammers hijack our real estate photos, and create fake ads advertising the property for rent at a really good (ridiculously low) price. They usually instruct potential renters to visit the property and look through the windows of the home, and if they like what they see, to send money in advance of the lease or keys. Scammers always promise to provide the keys after the money is received.
Be cautioned that this is happening in and around Clinton County. Fesette Realty and our agents would never ask you to send money in advance of a signed lease, or suggest that you peer through the windows of a vacant home to determine if you want to rent it.
Houses for sale through Fesette Realty are rarely also offered for rent, so if you see a Fesette Realty sign on the property, please call the listing agent or our office first. Avoid wire transfers, doing business with someone out of the country, and paying any security deposit before signing a lease.
The Federal Trade Commission also has ways to protect yourself from this happening. Lastly, use caution and common sense. As the old adage goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.