Rental scam

[nhgolfer1]

In September 2011 I reached an agreed rental with a lady from the villages at an agreed price and sent a check for $700.00 as security for the rental of the months of February/March 2012. My only contact was a cell phone number which after about a month I started calling with no answer. In late November I sent a letter saying we need to work out the details for the rental. Her cell phone was no longer available after 5 days. I then sent a registered letter return receipt requested which she did not pick up. When she cashed my check the sheriffs department became involved. When I left late march the attorney generals office came into the picture. Just am wondering how many others have been scammed by this women. Send me a PM and I will return her name.

I am back in the villages for 2 months again. During the past year I received a letter from seniors vs crime saying they could do nothing and were turning the case over to the sheriff. Later last year I recieved a letter from the sheriff detective saying that my case was now changed from active to inactive because they did not know who cashed the check. I do not know any financial (bank or other) institution that would cash an out of state check without proper ID.
Because of this now any county in the state where this women may get picked up will not know about my case in lake county. The info is only known in lake county.

Great isn't it.
nhgolfer

[Mama C]

why not post the name for everyone to see?

[cathyw]

I agree. Post her name so that no one else gets scammed.

[Ohiogirl]

Good idea to check online (County Tax assessor websites) to confirm that the owner's name matches the one you are sending the check to, although I might not have thought of that, either, until I got scammed.

Did you send the check to a post office box? That would be another red flag.

Tenants in the Villages are, on the whole, much better than tenants in the outside world - they are usually retired and gentle on your home. Hadn't occurred to me that you had to watch out for landlords, since I was on the other end (renting out my villa) for 4 years.

Also, try to get something in the lease about what your (tenant's) rights (return of deposit and/or advanced rent) are if the owner ends up canceling for any reason (e.g., sells the property or decides to use it themselves) Sometimes people end up retiring and moving down sooner than they thought, or have to sell for various reasons. That happens also. Friends of mine didn't lose money, but had to scramble at the last minute for an available rental when their potential landlord sold out. They could have had some type of compensation if this had been addressed in the lease.

In your case, with a crook that is hard to find, it probably turns out not to be worth the expense of pursuing them legally, but, boy, what a tough break.

On the landlord side, I think I was contacted by a potential scammer, who wanted my bank account # and routing number for a direct deposit from overseas. I asked for a postal money order instead, and never heard from the prospective tenant again.

[asianthree]

I had an older couple contact me and he wanted my ss# before he would rent from us so he could check on my mortgage and see if my taxes were up to date. He had the same problem with someone who was trying to rent to him but when he went to the address there was no house. I did understand but told him the only thing that i could assure him there was a house was have my homewatch person meet him and show him the house. He backed down and never returned my calls, wondering why he thought i would give him a SS#

[Ken24]

How do you know she lives in The Villages? How did you find out about the rental? We will all have to be careful.:grumpy:

[TomH]

You mentioned that you left in late March. Did you actually stay at the home?

[Barefoot]

In September 2011 I reached an agreed rental with a lady from the villages at an agreed price and sent a check for $700.00 as security for the rental of the months of February/March 2012. My only contact was a cell phone number which after about a month I started calling with no answer. In late November I sent a letter saying we need to work out the details for the rental. Her cell phone was no longer available after 5 days. I then sent a registered letter return receipt requested which she did not pick up. When she cashed my check the sheriffs department became involved. When I left late march the attorney generals office came into the picture. Just am wondering how many others have been scammed by this women. Send me a PM and I will return her name.

I'm sorry you were scammed. Why not mention the woman's name and the address of the negotiated rental property? Someone reading this thread may be able to shed some light on the situation.

[Autoshow]

In September 2011 I reached an agreed rental with a lady from the villages at an agreed price and sent a check for $700.00 as security for the rental of the months of February/March 2012. My only contact was a cell phone number which after about a month I started calling with no answer. In late November I sent a letter saying we need to work out the details for the rental. Her cell phone was no longer available after 5 days. I then sent a registered letter return receipt requested which she did not pick up. When she cashed my check the sheriffs department became involved. When I left late march the attorney generals office came into the picture. Just am wondering how many others have been scammed by this women. Send me a PM and I will return her name.

Please post her name and the address of the property she was using ,why protect her identity,she is a con artist

[ijusluvit]

Please post her name and the address of the property she was using ,why protect her identity,she is a con artist

Please also tell us about how you made the initial contact with the scammer. Was it a rental website? It's important for folks to know if a website is harboring a scammer.

There are popular websites like thevillages4rentbyowner which could possibly be the source. I've found a few examples of owners who advertise their homes here who do not have all of the amenities they claim. I don't think renters have much recourse with these owners unless they have a written agreement in place when a deposit is made.

Let the renter beware!

[Taltarzac725]

Please post her name and the address of the property she was using ,why protect her identity,she is a con artist

Could end up like Zimmerman and the movie director who twittered the wrong Zimmerman to his fans. There are even a bunch of Zimmerman's in the Villages.

She could have a really common name. And with 80,000 people in the Villages there are going to be a lot of Smiths, Johnsons, Jones, Adams, etc.

It is better handled with the private message, I would think.

[Schaumburger]

In September 2011 I reached an agreed rental with a lady from the villages at an agreed price and sent a check for $700.00 as security for the rental of the months of February/March 2012. My only contact was a cell phone number which after about a month I started calling with no answer. In late November I sent a letter saying we need to work out the details for the rental. Her cell phone was no longer available after 5 days. I then sent a registered letter return receipt requested which she did not pick up. When she cashed my check the sheriffs department became involved. When I left late march the attorney generals office came into the picture. Just am wondering how many others have been scammed by this women. Send me a PM and I will return her name.

nhgolfer1, I sent you a PM regarding this. Thank you.

[nhgolfer1]

It has been over three months since I returned to NH from two months in the villages. On May21 I received a letter from the sherifs department saying they were sorry that I was a victem of grand theft and that they were sending a subpoena to TDbank to get the records of Denise Allen who has my $700 but because of incorrect information on the subpoena they were issuing another subpoena. As soon as they receive the information back they were going to be intouch with me. How ever in the mean time my case went from active to inactive. Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing and is it not about time after three and one half months for something to be happening.
NH golfer looking forward to next Feb/Mar.

[Schaumburger]

nhgolfer -- I am sorry you had this bad experience. After reading about your experience, I now check through the county tax records to be sure the landlord I am renting from actually owns the property being rented. I think 99% of the landlords in TV are on the up and up. Too bad there are a few bad apples out there.

[nhgolfer1]

I rented anolther home for Feb/Mar and the home she was ging to rent to me it seems the owner of a land contract foreclosed on her on Feb 1.

[graciegirl]

I rented anolther home for Feb/Mar and the home she was ging to rent to me it seems the owner of a land contract foreclosed on her on Feb 1.


Boy Howdy!

[thistrucksforyou]

I am sorry for this....I have a rental there in TV's and this sickens me...While the rest of us go to extremes to have a nice place and to make sure your stay is what you pay for people like this is going to have potential renters like you giving me the once over....All I can say for all the honest landlords is prosecute this guy ...

[batman911]

May be better to deal with TV Property Management. At least you know you can trust them.

[bestmickey]

I rented anolther home for Feb/Mar and the home she was ging to rent to me it seems the owner of a land contract foreclosed on her on Feb 1.

Specifically where did you find the first rental, and the second rental? Was it ads in the newspaper, or on which rental website? Thanks.

[nhgolfer1]

The persons name is DENISE ALLEN and the property which she lost to foreclosure and I was going to rent is on east swartz blvd.
Now the problem seems to be the sherrifs department. I received a letter finally dated May 21,2012 from a detective named Ronald A Broomes in which he stated that a subpoena was sent to TD bank to find her accounts. By the way he regretted that I had been a victem of grand theft. The first subpoena had information that was not correct so they were sending another. They then would get in touch with me when they received the information. Still no contact as of this date but my case did move from active to inactive. Wow and only after three plus months.
I did check the landoffice to see if she did own the property before I sent the $700. Must say that the property that I am renting next Feb/Mar is much nicer then the one I ended up renting this past winter.
When I left the attorney generals office was supposed to have been contacted but when I call there they have no information about anything.
Now what.
Nhgolfer1

[graciegirl]

I was thinking that your second rental was a flop too, but now I THINK that is not the case. Your second rental is O.K.?

I thought you were mightly unlucky to have two rentals be losers.

There are so many responsible people who rent their homes here and so many responsible renters who take good care of them. A tribute to our maturity.

[nhgolfer1]

The first rental was through a newspaper ad and the second was while I was in TV. I viewed several homes and signed while on the site.

[Golfingnut]

I thought you could go to the Villages Real estate and rent thru them with confidence.

[batman911]

The persons name is DENISE ALLEN and the property which she lost to foreclosure and I was going to rent is on east swartz blvd.
Now the problem seems to be the sherrifs department. I received a letter finally dated May 21,2012 from a detective named Ronald A Broomes in which he stated that a subpoena was sent to TD bank to find her accounts. By the way he regretted that I had been a victem of grand theft. The first subpoena had information that was not correct so they were sending another. They then would get in touch with me when they received the information. Still no contact as of this date but my case did move from active to inactive. Wow and only after three plus months.
I did check the landoffice to see if she did own the property before I sent the $700. Must say that the property that I am renting next Feb/Mar is much nicer then the one I ended up renting this past winter.
When I left the attorney generals office was supposed to have been contacted but when I call there they have no information about anything.
Now what.
Nhgolfer1

Desperate people will do desperate things.

[eweissenbach]

I thought you could go to the Villages Real estate and rent thru them with confidence.

While I am sure you could rest assured that you would get a good rental through The Villages, my understanding is that you are not notified where the rental will be until you actually show up. Personally, that would not interest me, as while every place in TV is nice, I want to choose where I rent for a couple months. We have been fortunate to rent the last two years from individual owners who have proven to be excellent to work with. Last year we found the home on the for rent by owner site, and this year we found the home through TOTV, by posting our interest. Both are homes owned by persons who are not yet retired and not just rental properties. The OP had a bad experience which seems to be the exception and not the rule, thankfully.

[nhgolfer1]

Thanks for all the advice. The rental I have this year is really great but the people are going to sell the home so now I face finding a home for next Feb/Mar.
nhgolfer

[redwitch]

And people wonder why renters ask that they or their friends be allowed to see the house (at least do a drive by). I've had potential renters call me about a house and I've offered to go in and send them pictures so that they know that the ads they've seen are current.

Scammers exist everywhere -- renters, landlords, etc. It pays to be careful and know what you're getting to the best of your ability. (And I'll be nice and not make any comments about TV Property Management. lol)

nhgolfer, glad you found a place you like and so sorry you got ripped off.

I'd say your next step is to go back to Det. Broomes and try to get him to do his stuff. You're doing the right thing, it just sounds like a large case of ineptitude at the Sheriff's Department. Hopefully, you can get this resolved although I doubt you'll ever see your $700 again. Good luck!

[graciegirl]

Thanks for all the advice. The rental I have this year is really great but the people are going to sell the home so now I face finding a home for next Feb/Mar.
nhgolfer

This may be a sign you should have a place of your own?

[peteg]

Good idea to check online (County Tax assessor websites) to confirm that the owner's name matches the one you are sending the check to, although I might not have thought of that, either, until I got scammed.

Did you send the check to a post office box? That would be another red flag.

Tenants in the Villages are, on the whole, much better than tenants in the outside world - they are usually retired and gentle on your home. Hadn't occurred to me that you had to watch out for landlords, since I was on the other end (renting out my villa) for 4 years.

Also, try to get something in the lease about what your (tenant's) rights (return of deposit and/or advanced rent) are if the owner ends up canceling for any reason (e.g., sells the property or decides to use it themselves) Sometimes people end up retiring and moving down sooner than they thought, or have to sell for various reasons. That happens also. Friends of mine didn't lose money, but had to scramble at the last minute for an available rental when their potential landlord sold out. They could have had some type of compensation if this had been addressed in the lease.

In your case, with a crook that is hard to find, it probably turns out not to be worth the expense of pursuing them legally, but, boy, what a tough break.

On the landlord side, I think I was contacted by a potential scammer, who wanted my bank account # and routing number for a direct deposit from overseas. I asked for a postal money order instead, and never heard from the prospective tenant again.

As a landlord I always give prospective tenants my bank account nr and routing number for them to make payments. Could you please tell me what use they could make of this information

Thanks

[BettyCrocked]

There are a multitude of things that someone can do with your bank account number. There are literally thousands of websites that will let people pay with that information instead of a credit card. Many of them are porn sites. A cashier once made use of the information off of my check and had a field day with it.


As a landlord I always give prospective tenants my bank account nr and routing number for them to make payments. Could you please tell me what use they could make of this information

Thanks

[kellyjam]

Never give your Bank a/c # out. Any scammer could clean it out. If you must use an a/c for deposits I would never leave more than $50-$100 in it.

[KennyC]

Never give your Bank a/c # out. Any scammer could clean it out. If you must use an a/c for deposits I would never leave more than $50-$100 in it.

Great advice Kelly.....a separate account just for receiving the rent income.
Have it automatically transferred each month to a different account..

just an FYI....be VERY careful of ANYONE saying that "their agent" will make arrangements, and that YOU need to send ANY money to ANYONE. These are all SCAMS.....

They say that they will "pay full price"....but have already had a "bank check" made for a certain amount...they will send you "bank check for over the amount...and ask for you to send THEM the difference...

Obviously...the bank checks are forgeries....by the time you figure out that the "bank check" bounced...YOUR check has already been cashed!

These SCAMS are VERY popular on Craigslist, and have been for years, yet...unfortunately, MANY still bite the hook!

Always ask for their info, so that you may return a call, address, etc...

Most of the "overseas" inquiries ARE SCAMS!

[TrudyM]

Never give your Bank a/c # out. Any scammer could clean it out. If you must use an a/c for deposits I would never leave more than $50-$100 in it.

Your account routing info is on every check you write so the info is out there.
Ok so how do you pay for things? :shrug: By check they have your account number. By credit card they have your account number. By wire transfer you have their account number. If you send them a cashiers check they will think it is a scam?
Credit card has limits to liability (not debit only credit) for unauthorized charges but most people renting out a unit don't take credit cards.
And alot of people can't put 7 to 10 grand on their credit card.

This is all very depressing :(

[l2ridehd]

Nobody can access your account because they have your checking account number. If that were true, you could never write a check for anything. Everyone you have ever paid by check could have your account number and the bank routing information.

The biggest risk you have is debit cards. Because if someone scams your number and pin they can clean you out. Every thing else requires a signature. One other precaution you can take is to remove the 3 digit code on the back of your credit cards. They can be scrapped off with a knife. Then no one can use it for internet purchases. Record them in a safe place prior to removing, just in case you want to use it for an internet purchase.

When using a debit card in any machine, store check out, ATM, any place you swipe the card, make sure there is nothing strange about the machine. Most common way to steal your information is a reader mounted on the ATM where you slide your card in. Many ATM's now have a green led light ring around that slot so if it is cover over by an external reader it is obvious. But thieves can install a thin reader over the slot and you really can't tell with out looking closely.