Bennecia Smith and her family were looking forward to settling down in their recently purchased Clayton County home. However, after falling victim to a vicious rental scam, the family of eight are now sleeping in their cars.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), rental scams are among the top types of fraud reported, with thousands of complaints filed each year.
Everything began when a friend put them in touch with a woman who was ready to rent them the entire property for a low cost—seemingly the ideal chance.
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Because of Bennecia’s mother’s deteriorating health, the Georgia family had previously spent the previous two years staying in motels.
So while the idea of having a secure house at last seemed like a dream come true, they discovered they had been duped nine days after moving there, and the rug had been pulled out from under them.
Feeling confident in their new home, the family gave the con artist $1,200 upfront and arranged a monthly payment plan.
Smith told WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, “She [had] paperwork and everything. I had a whole lease. It felt like it was legit. I was very excited because it was my first house with my two kids… [but] she took from my kids.”
But when the cops showed up and told them they were intruding, the grim reality struck. Even after Smith showed the authorities the lease, they informed her it was falsified.
“I was like, how was I trespassing? I was showing him the lease, and he’s like, that’s a fake lease,” Smith recounted.
The Smith family was forced to flee swiftly, leaving behind some of their possessions, and they are currently unable to get their money back.
Now that they are having trouble saving up enough money for a motel room each night, they are forced to sleep in their cars when they are unable to pay for it.
The FTC advises that “search online for the rental location’s address, together with the name of the property owner or rental company. If other ads come up for the same address, but with a different owner or rental company name, that’s a sign of a scam. Look for the name of the rental company and search the rental company’s website yourself to see if the property is listed there too. If it isn’t, the ad you found may be a scam.”
Potential tenants should not send payment for a property they have never seen, or to a person they’ve never met in person, they continued, because con artists fabricate listings for properties that aren’t for rent or don’t exist.
In addition to this, one should look up the name of the landlord or rental company online and search for the terms “complaint,” “review,” or “scam.” They should also make sure that the rent isn’t significantly less than the average in the neighborhood, as this could indicate a scam.
Finally, one should avoid giving in to pressure from the seller to act quickly to get a good deal and always inspect the property before signing or making a payment.
