The Penn Township Police Department has been made aware of a new theft scheme. A fraudster will post a rental property online, using social media platforms (such as, Facebook Market Place) to post properties for rent. The fraudster will insist that you first complete an application and send money electronically, as part of the application fee. After the payment is provided, they will provide a passcode for a key box at the location of the rental property, used by a legitimate company. The Victim will utilize the one-time code to access the keys to the property. Once the Victim agrees to rent the property, the fraudster will request more money as a security deposit and the first months’ rent. The Victim will later find out that the person online they were dealing with has no legitimate rights to the property.
The fraudster(s) will always use a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) phone number making if difficult to identify the suspect(s). The fraudster will use the personal information obtained by the applicant for illicit purposes as well as stealing their “security deposit and first month’s rent”.
If someone is not willing to meet in person, it may be a clue that they are scammers. Never give your personal information out online. Refuse to be a victim!
