Rental scams on Craigslist
Craigslist is anonymous by design: no profiles, contact through relay email or a phone number. That makes it simple for a scammer to repost a real home with their own details and to disappear once paid.
How it usually goes
- 01A copied or invented listing
Real photos from another site, a rent that looks like a find.
- 02Email-only contact
A long, warm email explaining why the owner can’t meet you.
- 03An application with personal details
Your Social Security number, a photo of your ID and paystubs, before any viewing.
- 04Payment by an unusual methodMoney moves
Wire transfer, gift cards or a payment app, to secure the home.
What it sounds like
Thank you for your email. I am currently on a mission abroad with my family, so I need an honest tenant. Please fill out the application first with your social security number and a photo of your ID, then send the deposit by Western Union and I will ship you the keys.
Payment pathnames a money-transfer service (Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria)
…a photo of your ID, then send the deposit by Western Union and I will ship you the keys.The FTC: “If anyone insists you can only pay with wire transfers through Western Union or MoneyGram, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, it’s a scam.”
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thisowner is deployed, on a mission or offshore
Thank you for your email. I am currently on a mission abroad with my family, so I need an honest tenant.…A story that explains why the owner can never meet you is a variant of the “owner out of the country” pattern the FTC describes.
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thisowner says they are out of the country
…for your email. I am currently on a mission abroad with my family, so I need an honest tenant.…The FTC: when you ask to see the rental, “the fake owner will usually claim to be out of the country or give another excuse for not showing the property.”
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thisfull application before a viewing
…my family, so I need an honest tenant. Please fill out the application first with your social security number and a photo…The FTC describes scammers asking for a completed application with your personal details to steal your identity. You can see the place before you apply.
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thisasks for your Social Security number early
…fill out the application first with your social security number and a photo of your ID, then send the deposit…The FTC: “Until you’ve agreed to rent a place, a landlord doesn’t need your Social Security number, credit score, or other sensitive information.”
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thisasks for a photo of your ID
…first with your social security number and a photo of your ID, then send the deposit by Western Union and I…A picture of your driver’s license is one of the details the FTC says scammers collect to steal your identity.
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thiskeys sent by mail or courier
…send the deposit by Western Union and I will ship you the keys.Keys “in the mail” after you pay is how a no-show owner explains never meeting you. It is part of the owner-away pattern the FTC describes.
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thisnobody you trust has been inside yet
You said · Seen inside: noThe FTC suggests looking at the property before you sign or pay, in person or with someone you know, while noting that even a tour is not a guarantee.
Source: Rental Listing ScamsWhat to do
- Reply only through details you can check, and ask for a viewing with a local contact.
- Don’t send your Social Security number or ID until you have seen the home and know who you are dealing with.
- Never pay a rental deposit by wire or gift card.
- Flag the listing on Craigslist and report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Why this works, and what is normal
In the FTC’s Data Spotlight, “16% said the scam started with a fake listing on Craigslist,” second only to Facebook among the platforms people named.
The FTC also warns that a fake application can be the goal in itself: scammers ask for “your Social Security number, a picture of your driver’s license, paystubs, and other personal details” and use them to steal your identity.
Warning signs
- A long backstory explaining why no one can meet you
- Personal details requested before a viewing
- Wire transfer or gift cards
- Keys shipped after payment
Paste it into Before-You-Pay. It quotes the triggers from your own text and never sends it anywhere.