SOUTH HADLEY — The South Hadley Police Department is alerting residents to a wave of rental scams sweeping across the Commonwealth, including both large cities and small communities.
Scammers impersonate leasing agents or property owners to create fake ads for non-existent properties, or properties that are not actually available for rent.
According to authorities, these fraudsters often require potential renters to wire money or send cryptocurrency to cover application fees, security deposits, or the first month’s rent before the victims have even seen the property.
In addition to financial losses, victims risk exposure to identity theft by providing personal information to the scammers.
The fraudulent advertisements have been found on various platforms, with Facebook being the primary site used to target individuals.
Craigslist and Apartments.com have also been used for these scams, albeit less frequently.
Messaging apps like WhatsApp and WeChat have been identified as tools for spreading these fake listings.
Residents who encounter or fall victim to these rental scams are encouraged to report their experiences to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov/.
