The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the public of a scam that recently surfaced and has already pulled in several unsuspecting victims.
Sheriff Tim Gobble was contacted this week by a realtor with details.
The person perpetrating the scam is apparently using the ads of homes for sale on the websites of real estate companies. People expressing interest in a particular property correspond by e-mail with the scammer who identifies himself as the property owner. In the e-mails he tells them he is outside the U.S. and therefore willing to enter into a rental agreement.
One property owner reports he has been contacted by five people who each had the impression they corresponded with him about renting the property. They were upset and surprised when told the house is not for rent and the person they corresponded with doesn’t own the property.
The e-mail address used for the scam is the actual property owner's name at yahoo.com.
At this time it is unclear how the scammer reaches out to victims and was able to identify the property owner because that is not disclosed in real estate ads.
Victims were instructed to send their money to an overseas address and they would receive the key by return mail.
Sheriff Gobble said people searching for rental properties should use a reputable rental agency. Anyone using the Internet should exercise caution and never complete a transaction based on e-mails. Sheriff Gobble said offers requiring money to be sent outside the country should raise a red flag as a possible scam.