You probably know by now that a Kenyan Prince whose offer to transfer $10,000,000 to your bank account in exchange for a "business partnership" is a total scam. However, there are other scams lurking on websites like Craigslist that are a bit more difficult to spot. Offers of employment that seem too good to be true or fabulous two bedroom apartments that cost less than a dingy basement studio are likely scams or offers with surprise fees attached. Here are a few red flags to help you spot a scam from a mile away:
1) Check out the email address from which you are receiving correspondence. If the address has been anonymized, delete the email and move on. If not, google the address to see if others have experiences that may benefit you. If you don't get many results after googling the entire address, try googling whatever comes after the @ symbol. See if the organization is legitimate before you respond. For apartments that are listed as "by owner" you should be receiving emails from a personal address.
2) Hover over any links contained in emails or ads before you actually click them. If you see a .com or .org domain, move on to step 3. If it is a foreign domain, it's likely a scam.
3) Not all .coms and .orgs are legitimate, so use the google step in #1 to find out more information about the site and the sender.
4) Use the google maps street view feature. Not all addresses will show up in street view, but it's worth trying. Simply input the address of the apartment or house in the ad and take a look at the exterior of the dwelling and the surrounding area. You can find out if the location is being misrepresented in the ad rather quickly using google maps.
5) Make sure the pictures contained in the ad match, and that the photos are not generic apartment pictures that circulate all over the internet. For example, you'll find that there will be many postings describing different apartments that contain the exact same picture. If this is the case, you're probably looking at ads from a broker and the photos may not be the most accurate portrayal of the apartment. You're probably looking at pictures of the best apartment in the building, not the actual apartment for which the ad was made.
6) Do the photos within the ad match? For example, if there are two pictures of the living room, does the carpet in both pictures match? Is the lighting significantly different in both pictures? If so, you may be looking at generic pictures that do not actually represent the apartment.
Whenever you're looking at ads for apartments, furniture, or anything that could potentially involve a monetary transaction please be advised that the more information the seller leaves out or misconstrues, the more likely it is that the ad is a scam. Don't even bother replying to ads that seem suspect, because doing so may open up the floodgates for a series of annoying emails.
Post a comment to our Blog and let us know how we are doing. If you have any tips for avoiding scams let us know and we will post your suggestions.
Thanks,
Savvy Student
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