Elaborate Triangle rental scam includes seemingly legit in-person home tour

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The housing market is booming right now whether you’re buying, selling, or renting, you need to be on guard.

Lack of inventory means quick decisions are being made so you don’t lose out on the deal, but you also have to make sure you don’t get scammed.

Local law enforcement warns unsuspecting renters are getting hit with a particularly dangerous scam.

“It could be quite dangerous if people aren’t aware,” Detective Christin Reimann with the Durham County Sheriff’s Department said. Reimann is investigating several cases of rental fraud where scammers are stealing legit listings and posting the ads on Facebook Marketplace.

In some cases, Reimann said the scammers are local and will even meet potential renters.

“They’ve been to the house. They’ve got the lockbox numbers. They’ve gone in and gone through. They will meet them at the house or away from the house and give them the combination for the lockbox,” Reinmann said.

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