Conway city attorney warning of home rental scams | #phishing | #scams | #education | #technology | #infosec

CONWAY, Ark. — A local city attorney is warning his community about a home rental scam circulating right now. 

It’s one where people are essentially posing as homeowners and pretending their homes are available for rent.

It’s a scam that’s not new to Conway or any other city for that matter, but it’s one that City Attorney, Charles Finkenbinder is seeing more of. 

It’s something that’s not just impacting people financially either. 

“These are real human beings and they’re really worried about it,” he said.

In just one week, Finkenbinder has already gotten a couple of calls from people that were concerned. 

“They’re worried about themselves, they’re worried about their children becoming the victims of fraud,” he said.

According to Finkenbinder, the callers were feeling a little uneasy with houses they were looking to rent.

“Both of them had found a house that was purportedly for rent and it seemed legitimate, but they had some questions. There was some flags that gave them that pause,” he said.

As Conway’s city attorney, Finkenbinder quickly found out that those red flags were serious and realized the post came not from a landowner, but a con artist. 

This is a scam that’s on the rise, all while the rent property market heats up in Conway too, according to Finkenbinder.

“Right now, there’s more people wanting to rent a house than there are houses to rent. Thieves understand that supply demand dynamic,” he said.

These scammers can take more than your money too, according to Finkenbinder. Amid the fake application fees and security deposits they’re also taking information, which enables them to steal your identity. 

“They might spend the next three to six months recovering their financial identity and their financial security,” he said.

So, how do you know if you’re being scammed? 

Finkenbinder said there’s a couple of warning signs, like not wanting to meet in-person, if they won’t let you see the inside of a home, or if they want you to move in immediately.

“If they just want your money or your personal information, but aren’t interested in your rental history, it’s probably a scam,” he said.

The bottom line according to Finkenbinder, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.”

If you have been scammed, Finkenbinder said contact law enforcement and to keep any messages between you and the scammer. 

You can also visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center here where you can find resources.