07/15/2020
Rental scammers are targeting those searching for a residence in the Treasure Valley. The Meridian Police Department has received several reports involving rental scams. Typically, scammers copy legitimate rental ads and post them on platforms such as Zumper or Letgo, posing as the owners. Once the potential tenant wishes to move forward with the rental property, they are emailed an illegitimate lease agreement and instructed to make a remote payment for a deposit fee and rent. All of this communication is through email, phone calls and text messages. While this scam occurred prior to COVID-19, the virus is providing the con artists with a reasonable excuse to refuse in-person contact and only accept remote payment.
Please read the tips below, be cautious and help us inform others.
