Housing Fraud & Scams
While not incredibly common, housing fraud or scams do happen. One of the best ways to avoid this problem is to keep all transactions local – whenever possible, don't do business with anyone who is not in your local area.
- Use caution and common sense when dealing with any financial transaction:
- DEAL ONLY WITH LOCAL LANDLORDS!
- NEVER wire funds to a distant buyer.
- Be wary if the other party wants to use an escrow service such as BidPay or Squaretrade.
- NEVER give out personal financial information (checking account number, SSN, PayPal info, etc.)
- Trust your instincts. If it sounds suspicious, it probably is. Use your best judgment.
