A Twentynine Palms renter is a victim twice over of a rental scam. According to a Sheriff’s report, the man rented a home in the 74000 block of Pinon Drive in Twentynine Palms. On Saturday, May 16, he returned home to find that the locks had been changed and all his belongings in the home had been put in the trash and on the curb by the home’s owner, who was not the person who rented the house to him. The homeowner admitting putting the property on the curb, but did not know who had taken it. The Sheriff’s Department determined the renter was a victim of a fraudulent rental, and has no leads on who took his property from the curb. Managing editor Tami Roleff has tips about how you can avoid being a victim of a rental scam…
Whether you’re a renter or owner, you can reduce your chances of being scammed in the rental market by verifying the identity of the person you’re dealing with. Renters should confirm the identity of the home owner on the county’s property tax assessor’s website. If the rent is lower than the prevailing rent in the area, chances are it’s a scam. Never rent a home sight unseen. If the “owner” or “landlord” insists that you wire money for the deposit or for the first and last month’s rent, chances are it’s a scam. If you find you’ve been scammed, report it to the Sheriff’s Department and to the Federal Trade Commission. Contact the website where you saw the rental ad, too.
