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If you are interested in acquiring rental property out of your county, state, or country it is important to learn how to avoid a rental property scam.
Individuals that wish to engage in this type of scam typically post an advertisement on the internet or in a newspaper that details the type of structure and property they wish to rent to an interested party. In most all cases, the rental is advertised at an unnaturally low price. This ensures the advertisement draws interest. Once a potential renter contacts the individual, they will request an upfront security deposit and will promise to send the key and legal documentation. Unfortunately, at that point, contact is lost along with the money that has been sent.
In this how-to article, you will learn the basic steps in avoiding rental property scams.
Step One:
When working to avoid rental property scams, it is important to pay special attention to structures that are being rented outside of the United States. If you are interested in renting property outside of the country, you should work directly with a certified real estate agent that can work to ensure that your investment is protected. Always verify that the agent works for an established agency.
Step Two:
Pay special attention to advertisements that are listed for rental property. You will want to avoid those that have spelling and grammar mistakes, or seem as if they have been written by someone overseas that is not fluent in English.
Step Three:
It is important to inquire about setting up an appointment to view the structure and property prior to committing to a rental agreement. If you are not able to do this yourself, have someone you trust make a personal visit to inspect the property and take pictures of both the inside and outside.
Step Four:
You should pay special attention to the instructions regarding payment. Many scammers may request that you forward them a cashier’s check or that you take the time to FEDEX the payment. It is also important to pay special attention to their level of persistence. Legitimate sellers won’t use pressure tactics to try to hurry your decision. Remember the old saying that “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
Step Five:
If you have already sent money to secure rental property, and are unable to contact the individual or company that you sent money to, or have not yet received the keys and documentation that you were told that you would receive, it is quite likely that you have been subjected to a rental property scam. At this point, you should contact the Federal Trade Commission by calling 877-FTC-HELP or by visiting their website an filing a complaint form.
Resource:
To learn more about Lionheart Group and how to avoid rental property scams, then visit the Lionheart Group blog at www.LionheartGroup.net.
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Fake check scams are on the rise in the US and so is the likelihood that you could be scammed. These scams are usually initiated after receiving a check you were not expecting from a financial institution, a business, or an individual. The check may appear to be realistic on the surface, and while your bank may cash the phony check, you must be aware that you are ultimately responsible for the checks you cash. Therefore, if you cash a check that is fake, then you are on the hook for the money and will be asked to pay it back to the bank. In this article, you will learn how to avoid fake check scams so that this does not happen to you.
Step One:
The first step in learning how to avoid fake check scams is to understand that there is typically no legitimate reason why a person would need you to cash a check or a money order for them and provide money in return. If you discover that this request is being made, you should avoid cashing the check until you research it at length to ensure that it is above board.
Step Two:
Step two in combating fake check scams is to be aware that there are certain catch phrases associated with fake business opportunities and other businesses that attempt to conduct these types of scams. Examples include business related offers from overseas, rental schemes, businesses that promote work at home opportunities, businesses that promise “get rich quick” opportunities, foreign lotteries, companies that claim you are due an overpayment that you are unfamiliar with, and even money offered from accounts of the deceased. If you receive any of these types of offers out of the blue, it is likely that you are being targeted by a scam, so the best advice is to ignore these types of solicitations.
Step Three:
In avoiding a fake check scam, one important decision is to elect to pay by credit card instead of check for any purchases you make. This is typically much safer than using a check because of the fact that so many personal details are listed on a check.
Step Four:
If someone contacts you by phone, email, or by standard mail and informs you that you have won a prize that is “free”, but requests a payment from you, you should avoid the temptation to take immediate action. If you have truly received a gift that is free, you will receive that gift with absolutely no stipulations.
Step Five:
If you receive notifications to participate in a lottery from a foreign country, you should completely avoid it. First, it is probably related to a fake check scam. Second, it is illegal to participate in foreign based lotteries. Third, most of these lotteries are truly scams that are intended to deprive you of your hard earned money.
Step Six:
If you are an individual that specializes in selling merchandise, it is important to ensure that you never accept more money than is necessary for the items that you are selling, regardless of the reason or request to the contrary.
Step Seven:
Always seek to avoid wiring money to individuals you are not familiar with. This is especially true if they have sent you a money order or check and have asked that you return a portion of the funds.
If you feel as if you have been subjected to a fake check scam through the postal service, you may contact a group referred to as the “U.S Postal Inspection Service” online or by calling the post office in your community. If you have been targeted on the Internet, you may contact the “Federal Trade Commission” at 877-FTC-HELP.
RESOURCE:
For additional steps on how to avoid fake check scams and various other scams, visit the Lionheart Group blog at www.LionheartGroup.net.
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Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish the truth, a half-truth or an outright lie from each other. There are all kinds of scams and repeated media information that might have a little truth, but certainly is not the complete story or even partly close to it. Depending on your sources, this can affect decisions you make and can affect you monetarily.
Figuring out who you can trust can be difficult, especially if it is an important cause, such as a cancer foundation fundraising event or for a political donation or rally. The sad part is that it gets harder and harder every day, so there is a need for a media investigator to uncover confusion and half-truths or scams that are being perpetrated on the Internet. The Lionheart Group aims to be the investigator to uncover these scams.
It should come as no surprise as to why there is so much misinformation and so many scams out there. Even rumors have become a form of entertainment just to see how many people will believe them. Mischief making has taken on new targets including false consumer information that can affect a reputable company or person.
The perpetrators of these lies and half truths are counting on the fact you don’t have the time or energy to do your own investigating. When you consider that it takes very little effort to start a blog, twitter or even a website to do anything, you have to be cautious of anything you might find on the Internet or hear from the media, since they get some of their information there, too. The Lionheart Group investigates the sources and exposes the scamsters and pranksters for what they are.
People are especially vulnerable to bad information because of the Internet and their desire to feel secure in their purchases, based on information from the Internet and other sources. Unscrupulous people make a living by preying off of vulnerability and people are defrauded all the time, including identity theft, money scams and a general waste of time.
“Work from home” scams are running rampant as the unemployed look for cheap ways to make money. Many of the opportunities hardly pay you enough for the time and utilities invested and some don’t pay you at all. Investment opportunities are another example that claims to protect your money, no matter what the economy does, which we know is not possible. The Lionheart Group alert blog is meant to help get the word out, when it comes to these kinds of scams.
Malicious misinformation campaigns can have a sole purpose to elicit a response that gives them access to personal information, which can be used for monetary theft or identity theft. Some may be straightforward scams. The Lionheart Group recognizes them and reveals their discovery so the general public can protect themselves.
The Lionheart Group has revealed scams that have been used to take advantage of people just like you. Scammers have found creative ways to gain access to credit card accounts and personal information. Clouding the truth with falsehoods that amount to fear mongering are ways they get financial information, and technological information.
You can fall victim to this misinformation in a number of ways-through the news, radio, your email and social media. Anything you read, watch or hear can be full of lies and misinformation, which can result in you taking up the fraudulent causes and petitions that are non-existent or scams. Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites are making this problem more widespread than ever before.
The Lionheart Group is dedicated to clearing up misconceptions and discovering the scams that prey on innocent people, like you.
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