Iowa City Police Warn Renters About Scam

By Mark Carlson, Reporter

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By Kelli Sutterman

Story Created: Jun 2, 2011 at 7:08 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 2, 2011 at 7:08 PM CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Police want renters to act carefully when shopping online for rental houses and apartments this summer.

A recent string of reports shows that scammers are specifically trying to take advantage of the Iowa City rental market, according to Sergeant Denise Brotherton.

“(Students) can’t just show up a week before school to get a home or an apartment,” Brotherton said. “They start back in the spring and into the early summer.”

Brotherton said con artists are posting fake ads, but using real properties. According to Brotherton, cons search the internet for homes that are already posted as “for rent” or “for sale” in the area. They then re-post them on sites like Craigslist, but with their own contact information. The potential buyer then erroneously contacts the con rather then the actual landlord.

“They’ll try and get a person to send them a security deposit to try and secure it,” Brotherton said.

Police have a hard time tracking scams like this because suspects often post fake ads from other parts of the country.

“We just don’t have the ability to travel all over the United States to follow-up on these,” said Brotherton.

To avoid becoming a victim, police suggest meeting with the landlord in the home before surrendering any money. Brotherton specifically said college students looking for a fall home (while out of state for the summer) need to be careful.

“Iowa City is a prime market for that because we do have students from out of state or out of town who want to secure that residence before they get here,” she said. “Everyone needs to be extra cautious.”

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