North Port Police seeing rise in rental scams
Published: May. 26, 2022 at 2:29 PM EDT
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - North Port Police are warning citizens of a series of scams in the area involving phony real estate listings, officials said.
Police explain the scam in a YouTube video like this: Scammers copy photos and descriptions of legitimate rental property listings and post them on sites such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, often at a lower price.
Potential buyers send deposits to the scammers, who then disappear.
Police spokesman Josh Taylor says they have discovered 15 such incidents in the area in the past year.
Anyone who feels they have been the victim of such a scam is urged to call North Port Police at 941-429-7300.
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