Coachella con: scammers target festivalgoers with fake rental listings
INDIO Calif. (KESQ) - With Coachella just weeks away, scammers are targeting festivalgoers looking for short term rentals (STR).
Fake listings are popping up on Craigslist, complete with stolen property photos and fake rental contracts - all designed to trick attendees into handing over money and leaving them stranded when they arrive.
In a statement to News Channel 3, the Internet Crime Complaint Center run by the FBI provided advice to avoid being victimized:
- Do not wire funds to people you do not know.
- Do not put money towards a house or apartment you have not seen.
- Confirm the identity of the landlord by researching public records to find out who owns the property you are seeking to rent or purchase.
- Do not fill out applications online until you have met directly with the property manager.
- Know local rental prices.
- Look for online reviews, references, and testimonials from past inhabitants.
- Be wary if a potential tenant wants to rent property sight unseen.
- Be wary if a potential renter says they are out of town and will send you a cashiers’ check.
- Be wary if a potential landlord says he is out of the country and wants the rent sent to a foreign account.
- Do not accept overpayment for properties. If you receive a check for more than the specified amount, return it. Do not deposit it.
The Indio Police Department has a website that shows all the STRs with permits in the city.
News Channel 3's Shay Lawson spoke with one local real estate agent, who regularly rents homes to Coachella staff and visitors, who said she's already spotted multiple fraudulent listings impersonating her properties.
Stay with KESQ for the full report at 10 and 11 p.m.
