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Home Rental Scam

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Home Rental Scam Reports & Reviews (8)

- Phoenix, AZ, USA • Sep 17, 2024
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The scammer posted a house on Facebook marketplace. When I went over to examine the house, they mentioned another house that was on the market we went in with the code they gave us we paid and signed “lease contract ” When we were supposed to move in the generator, he gave us was not opening the door and suggested we go in through the back door. progressively afterwards he answered less and less messages and phone calls. The neighbor of the house mentioned that the house was posted by invitation homes. So we called them to verify. Invitation homes mentioned the house is on the marked by only them and that they must of gone on Invitation Homes’s website to schedule a tour and give us that code to make us believe he was the owner of the house. Invitation Homes also told us this was most likely a scam since they solely on the house.

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- Newport News, VA, USA • Aug 14, 2024
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The landlord refused to refund refundable application fee and deposit after failing to conduct the house tour.

On 8/10/2024, I called and texted Mr. Davis regarding his rental posting on Facebook Marketplace.

8/11/2024, I paid $90 as the application fee to his legal representative, John Dodato, via Zelle using his email address, [email protected] and requested a house tour, Mr. Davis agreed and said he can conduct virtual tour at 4pm on 8/14/2024. He then requested me to pay 1/2 the deposit which is $350 to secure the place.

8/12/2024, I paid $350 to Mr. Davis’ attorney, Mark Hammontree ([email protected] or +1 (814) 882-6513) as Mr. Davis stated that I need to secure the place and that it is also refundable.

8/13-8/14/2024, I was asked to pay another $350 so Mr. Davis can obtain the keys to the property from his attorney office, which I refused as the tour haven’t been conducted. On morning 8/14, Mr. Davis texted that Mr. Hammontree was out of office and the keys was given to his assistant, Ms. Maria Martinez. I tried to video call Ms. Matinez (878-221-7472), but the phone calls were intentionally short and that what I heard was a men voice, and they refused to turn on the camera. By 4:30pm, the tour had not been conducted, so I texted Mr. Davis that I wanted to withdraw my application and both his and his attorney refused to pay me back and ignored my texts/phone calls. Mr. Davis reasoning that it was because I was not following the rules on the leasing agreement for early termination. Still, that is not applicable in this situation and I haven't sign the agreement yet.

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- Bangor, ME, USA • Aug 14, 2024
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Russel Moldovan had a house listed for rent on Facebook Marketplace. I contacted him regarding its rental and sent him what he requested in order for him to do a background check etc. He rented us the home and send us a lease. We spoke on the phone just the other night and he was going to do a walk through with us just so we could see it in motion as we are moving from Maine to Pennsylvania. We are two adults, F-60 and M-63. Russel was aware of the fact that we had to move by the end of the month because the owner of the house we have rented for over 7 1/2 years now, is planning to make a quick sale of it. We are packing, making plans to move. We were not considering any other properties and Russel knows this. Today I receive a text saying he decided to sell the house, best of luck, goodbye. We had a wonderful conversation 2 nights ago and he said how excited he was for us to rent this house. I did notice that even after he emailed the lease the ad for the home's rental was still up on Facebook! Why would that be if he wasn't scamming us? Also, today, after he told us the house would now be put up for sale (and he knows we cannot afford it) I checked and the ad was STILL up on Facebook! I took pictures of the ad before flagging it as a scam. I am not sure if this person is who he says he is, a pastor at a church in Blanchard PA, but if he is, he has zero integrity and no concern for others. We are now homeless and it is very hard for us to rent anything in this new rental climate - Russel and his wife both know this! I have zero credit, merely family money and inheritance and **** collects Social Security! We have a glowing landlord letter as he has rented to us three times through the decades, whenever we have returned to the area. I sold real estate back in NYC between 1990-1992 and before COVID it was do you have a great landlord referral, what is your rental history and do you keep your house as immaculate as I do! Now, it is only how you appear on paper. It took us months to find this house and now we have nowhere to live as of the end of the month. If this man were a pastor, would he do this? Is he impersonating this pastor? I know Russel Moldovan is a real person because I looked him up on the church website! What is going on? He already gave us the lease! I have the email. I saved all our communications! I don't know if he merely wanted to steal our social security numbers and personal information for his own ill-gotten gains! He has a very quick way of speaking, upbeat, almost overly jovial. And why would he leave the ad up on FB if he had already rented the home to us? He needs to be stopped before someone else gets their personal information stolen by this man and his wife, who is obviously complicit. PLEASE do something about his egregious deceptions before someone else starts packing boxes and renting moving trucks!

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- New Rochelle, NY, USA
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The scammer listed a house for rent. The house has been uninhabitable since September 29, 2023.

The basement in the house was flooded. All electrical outlets were under 4 feet of water. There is currently no heat, hot water or gas in the house.

The scammer listed the property for rent available immediately. The house is not safe to live in, its hazardous. This is a fraud. The house is listed on countless websites. This person is listed as the brokerage, owner and landlord of this property.

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Recieved this email

Thanks for getting back to me

Your application is approved, and I'm satisfied with your provided details, please respect that the unit is for rent and is not available for immediate viewing until (date) as the unit is currently occupied by a Realtor Agent and his 6 years old daughters and with a painful exit, (his wife recently passed away during Childbirth) and will be moving out on (date) requested for complete privacy which I granted as will also be granted to you when you become the new tenant if you need any privacy also. You can come to view the unit in person or send a representative when it's fully available and I will notify you at that time.

but if the timing works and you do not want to miss out on this property then you can have the property reserved for you until you view/move in with the payment of both the first month's rent and the refundable security deposit required to take the property off the market. This fee is used to hold the property for you until you move in. Once your reservation fee and signed reservation lease form are received the property will be removed from the rental market and secured in your name. You will also be filling out the lease contract form. note the property will be secured and must be available for you before your arrival and your rent will start counting from your move-in date as instructed by the management.

Note: In the event, you decide to not move into the property, for any reason, this fee is also refundable as stated in the lease agreement form which will be sent to you to sign. Also, an attorney will be made available during your walk-through to confirm your full refund and to avoid any complications or anything that will bridge the agreement signed in the lease agreement form or you can come with your legal advice if you want.

Let me know if you wish to proceed with your down payment (reservation deposit) before the lease agreement form and reservation details for booking (Landlord's details) can be sent to you.

Thanks again and please keep me posted

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- Woodstock, VA, USA
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Rental Scam, wanted me to send a deposit before ever seeing the house and I kept telling him I wasn’t comfortable doing so. I asked for a refund and he wouldn’t.

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- Gibsonton, FL, USA
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She had a 2 br 2 bath

Front and back porch

Tall fenced in yard

On a private lot,

On

Glendale St in Princeton

By crown lake dr

Supposed to be on Gibsonton dr

Wanted 75 dollars for application fees

So I sent it

Then wanted me to send 57.99 to hold the house.

So I sent it.

Thru PayPal.

I still have the activity I did on PayPal showing

Then

Kept on asking for more money

Sayed the 75 dollars would be put back in account

But my end Sayed pending..

Sayed it Sayed it's been refunded on her end.

But wanted me to send the 70.00 back

And kept sending me different emails to send the money to.

We were supposed to meet up at 7pm.

So we go to the meeting spot and sit and wait for her to show up.

I called her twice, and she never answered her phone.

Sat there for 30 mins then we left.

So I texted her again.

And we'll she Sayed waiting on payment which was another 70.00. Before she would come meet up.

And wanting 200.00 for security deposit...

To get the lease documents started...

I have all the texts between us if y'all need to see the whole conversation.

Kept telling me that the house is all that I was looking for..

Well I had a friend that's a realtor look the name she Sayed she was.

And friend Sayed there's no such name..

And that she's a scammer..

She's on fb posting places all over for rentals..

If you want I can give you her name.

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Tried to rent home, required to send money to person before allowed to rent home. Now being evicted by homeowners due to no official contract signed

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