It’s a scam that just won’t go away. Houses advertised for sale online are being re-listed by scammers on Craigslist.
In one York County community, police are getting involved by warning residents to be on guard.
West York Borough police said scammers are hijacking property ads on Craigslist. The scammers copy photos, addresses and property information from real classified ads, and then use them to ask potential renters to wire a deposit to Nigeria.
“Nigeria is one of those countries where wire transfers are hard to trace,” said Ron Hege of the West York Police Department.
West York police said a house up for sale next to their station was one property used in a recent scam.
The renter was asked to wire $1,300 to Nigeria.
“They’re telling the potential renters to ignore the for sale sign — that they’re disappointed with their realtor and they’re actually going to rent the place,” said Hege.
A York Township home up for rent was posted in a similar Craigslist ad on Wednesday. Craigslist has since removed it.
West York Police offer the following tips for online renters:
– Make sure you speak directly to the property owner, not just by email.