01/27/2026
⚠️ RENTAL HOME FRAUD ⚠️
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has received an uptick in reports of rental fraud. In these cases, the suspect will post a home for rent on Facebook Marketplace, and ask the potential renter to pay deposits via gift cards. These properties are usually copied from real estate agency sites, and the information can appear legitimate.
HOW TO AVOID RENTAL SCAMS:
🏠 If there is no in-person meeting prior to renting the property (they require payment before you can view it)
🏠 Never pay rent or deposits using odd forms of payment (gift cards, etc.)
🏠 There should always be an actual lease or paperwork prior to renting
🏠 If the “landlord” is pressuring you to act fast
🏠 Pay attention to unrealistically low rent prices
🏠 Researching the property appraiser website can determine if the person renting the property is the actual owner
🏠 You can Google search the property and see if it has been copied from other sites