Over the past month the LaGrange Police Department has investigated several incidents of fraud involving individuals attempting to rent houses that they found on Facebook Marketplace. The fraud involves a landlord or property manager that insists on conducting all business through email, text messages, or phone calls, but will not meet in-person.
The landlord/property manager will insist on the renter sending security deposits and 1st month’s rent through Cash App, Apple Pay, Venmo. They may even email a copy of a lease to the victim. In the end, the victim is defrauded out of $1,000’s of dollars and the house they thought they were renting turns out to be a vacant house that is for sale by a legitimate realty company that has no knowledge of any rental agreement.
These scammers are using fake names, untraceable phone numbers, and email addresses that cannot be traced back to any individual.
The Lagrange Police Department encourages anyone who is looking to rent or purchase a home, to go through a property management company or a realtor to ensure that the transaction is legitimate and you don’t fall victim to this scam.
Anyone with information pertaining to this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective F. Montondo at 706-883-2639.
Individuals who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips through the Tip411 system. This can be done via the mobile application, through the online portal, or by texting the keyword LAGRANGE to 847411. These channels are designed to ensure the public can share critical information confidentially and securely.
