Rental house be put on craigslist fraudulently

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
8y

Report to Craigslist? HAHA! You might as well put a note in a bottle and throw it in the ocean. Craigslist doesn't have a team of people reviewing complaints or fraudulent posts which is why Craigslist is such a mess.

The best solution is to add a watermark to your photos. That will deter the fraudsters from stealing your photos and creating fake ads. Do this for every advertisement because they will steal pictures from Zillow or Trulia and create fake Craigslist ads, also.

I started watermarking my photos years ago and haven't had a single fake ad since.

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  • Aaron Poling
    Realtor · WV · Member since 2018 · 454 posts · 310 votes
    8y
    @Joe Xie Report to craigslist and continue to monitor the site in case it comes back up. This is very common for craigslist. Good Luck! Aaron
    0Reply
  • Joe Xie
    OP
    Real Estate Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2017 · 56 posts · 10 votes
    8y

    Thanks@Aaron Poling

    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    8y

    Report to Craigslist? HAHA! You might as well put a note in a bottle and throw it in the ocean. Craigslist doesn't have a team of people reviewing complaints or fraudulent posts which is why Craigslist is such a mess.

    The best solution is to add a watermark to your photos. That will deter the fraudsters from stealing your photos and creating fake ads. Do this for every advertisement because they will steal pictures from Zillow or Trulia and create fake Craigslist ads, also.

    I started watermarking my photos years ago and haven't had a single fake ad since.

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  • Joe Xie
    OP
    Real Estate Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2017 · 56 posts · 10 votes
    8y

    @Nathan Gesner thanks! A good tip.

    0Reply
  • Ray Harrell
    Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 930 votes
    8y

    Also, if someone sends a deposit or rent to the person who posted the ad, it's their own loss. That happens a lot in the rental world. They post an ad and when you respond they say that they (or their spouse) is in another country, so please send the deposit to him and they will send you the keys...or some other strange arrangement. Some people actually fall for it.

    The other question you need to answer...why is your tenant looking at rentals on Craigslist??? Prepare for a potential vacancy.

    1Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

    Report to Craigslist? HAHA! You might as well put a note in a bottle and throw it in the ocean. Craigslist doesn't have a team of people reviewing complaints or fraudulent posts which is why Craigslist is such a mess.

    The best solution is to add a watermark to your photos. That will deter the fraudsters from stealing your photos and creating fake ads. Do this for every advertisement because they will steal pictures from Zillow or Trulia and create fake Craigslist ads, also.

    I started watermarking my photos years ago and haven't had a single fake ad since.

    out of sheer curiosity how would one watermark a photo.. ??? I know dumb question but I am curious.. not that I have ever or will ever place a craiglist add.. but I look at cars sometimes on there..  

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  • Jason D.
    Rental Property Investor · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2017 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    8y
    @Jay Hinrichs I have an app on my phone called "watermark". Its simply a photo editor that allows text over pictures. You can make it semi transparent so it doesnt take over the picture. I just put my business name, diagonally, across the photo.
    3Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Jason D.:
    @Jay Hinrichs I have an app on my phone called "watermark". Its simply a photo editor that allows text over pictures. You can make it semi transparent so it doesnt take over the picture. I just put my business name, diagonally, across the photo.

     then how do you get the photo off the phone and on to craiglist.. ???

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  • Jason D.
    Rental Property Investor · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2017 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    8y
    @Jay Hinrichs I can post to craigslist directly from my phone, or upload it to a cloud service like dropbox or Google drive,and then post from anywhere.
    0Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Jason D.:
    @Jay Hinrichs I can post to craigslist directly from my phone, or upload it to a cloud service like dropbox or Google drive,and then post from anywhere.

     OK I cant even put a photo on BP  I don't know how to get it from my phone to BP.. I would like to though so I could show some of my new home projects.. I think that would be fun.. have to wait for my grandkids to come over maybe they could help.. so your not even plugging anything in ??? to a computer to do that.. it just goes over the airwaves.

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  • Jason D.
    Rental Property Investor · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2017 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    8y
    @Jay Hinrichs it's done all over the airwaves man! The grandkids are probably geniuses at this stuff, they'll set you straight 😁
    3Reply
  • Charlie MacPherson
    China, ME · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    8y

    @Joe Xie Make a post of your own with the title "CAUTION - FRAUDULENT RENTAL" with the same photo the scammer used.

    Explain in the posting that a scammer has listed your property for rental, but it is NOT available for rent.

    At that point, you've done what you can - unless you want to screw with them.  

    In that case, using a throwaway email, tell the scammer you want to rent the unit.  He'll ask for payment via western Union, which you tell him that you'll gladly send.

    Then keep sending him bogus confirmation numbers, apologizing each time.  Tell him you're dyslexic and change one digit in the fake confirmation number.

    Keep it going as long as you want to have fun!

    4Reply
  • Mark Sullivan
    Viera, FL · Member since 2014 · 61 posts · 84 votes
    8y

    @Jay Hinrichs At last my chance to add value to the community!    Maybe I'll start a whole blog here on  technology to address questions like this.  :-)

    I don't want to hijack this thread, though.  Do you want to have a discussion in another thread about getting your photos from your phone to Bigger Pockets?

    1Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Mark Sullivan:

    @Jay Hinrichs At last my chance to add value to the community!    Maybe I'll start a whole blog here on  technology to address questions like this.  :-)

    I don't want to hijack this thread, though.  Do you want to have a discussion in another thread about getting your photos from your phone to Bigger Pockets?

     yes thank you.. 

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  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Charlie MacPherson:

    @Joe Xie Make a post of your own with the title "CAUTION - FRAUDULENT RENTAL" with the same photo the scammer used.

    Explain in the posting that a scammer has listed your property for rental, but it is NOT available for rent.

    At that point, you've done what you can - unless you want to screw with them.  

    In that case, using a throwaway email, tell the scammer you want to rent the unit.  He'll ask for payment via western Union, which you tell him that you'll gladly send.

    Then keep sending him bogus confirmation numbers, apologizing each time.  Tell him you're dyslexic and change one digit in the fake confirmation number.

    Keep it going as long as you want to have fun!

    that does sound like fun.. !!! 

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  • Paul Constantine
    Member since 2018 · 2 posts · 1 vote
    8y
    @Mark Sullivan tag me if you do, I’m in the tech field and would love to contribute as well. As you said, Our way to give back!
    1Reply
  • Charlie MacPherson
    China, ME · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    8y

    @Jay Hinrichs  I've done it a couple of times and it's a blast!  

    The challenge is to see how long you can keep the game going.  I had one that went on for a couple of weeks. 

    This website https://www.419eater.com/ is completely dedicated to screwing with scammers.  You can have hours of fun - plus, any time they burn up dealing with you gives them less time to steal from somebody else.

    2Reply
  • Joe Xie
    OP
    Real Estate Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2017 · 56 posts · 10 votes
    8y

    thank you @Jay Hinrichs @Charlie MacPherson@Mark Sullivan @Paul Constantine @Jason D. @Nathan Gesner @Aaron Poling for great inputs. I have following up:

    1. I contacted Craigslist to report fraudulent, nothing happened so far. The fraudulent ad is still on Craigslist.

    2. I send an email pretending interested, no reply so far.

    3. Tenant give me 30 day notice today. But saying it was very coincidental to the fraudulent posting on craigslist and Assure me that one has no relation to the other in the notice. I believe the tenate as explanations seems indicates the moving reason is just piped up and the decision was made just within a couple of days. 

    Now I have a problem, I need post ad for new tenant, but this fraudulent ad is still on Craigslist ( which with very low rent asking). What should I do? 

    BTW, I am doing the listing and finding new tenant my self, what is the best site I post ad in my situation? Thanks

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