Sioux City Police are warning local residents about a rental scam involving properties advertised for rent on Craigslist.
Police say this involves homes that are currently for sale.
The scammer copies the home information from the internet and then advertises it for rent under a fake name.
Police say there are several red flags to look for when making a transaction such as this.
The scammer will often claim to be out of state and says they will mail you the key upon payment.
Police say the scammer also may claim that the realtor selling the house has done a poor job and are not aware that they are renting the house.
That’s to keep you from contacting the realtor on the sign and exposing the scam.
They may even claim to be deaf or have no access to a phone.
Sioux City Police remind you to deal locally when renting or buying a home and to never send money for a rental to someone you have not met in person.
