In light of the recent apartment rental scam in Salem, we would like to take this opportunity to provide some tips on how to avoid these kinds of scams.
Last week Salem police arrested Jayson Fallis for conning nine people out of as much as $2,000 each. Fallis posted ads on craigslist.org for a two bedroom apartment on 11 Boston St in Salem for $850 a month. Fallis, a former tenant of the apartment, pretended he was the landlord and that he had recently inherited the property. He used aliases when filling out false lease agreements and stole anywhere from $500 to $2000 for first last and half security deposit.
To avoid scams like this, there are a few things you can do:
- Question the landlord! Does something seems fishy? Ask the landlord for identification.
- Look up property ownership for the apartment. Who really owns it?
- Is the asking price way under market value? Red flag.
- Is the landlord not asking for an application? Not checking your credit? Red flag.
- Never wire money via Western Union, Moneygram or other wire service.
- Use a rental agency and go with a qualified professional.
Rental Beast does a full screening of every private owner listed on our site. You’ll never find a false listing.
If you’d like to do your part to help the Fallis’s victims, you can donate to the victims of the Salem craigslist rental scam.
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