Protect Yourself From Fraud and Scams

Scammers sometimes use apartment listings to try to trick you into sending them money or giving up your personal information.

Rental Fraud Warnings

When a scam is reported for a rental listing, we delete the fraudulent listing and show the following warning on our property page:

Caution: A user reported a fraudulent listing for this address on 05/30/2012.

When you see this warning, please use extra caution and follow the steps below to keep yourself safe.

Avoid Getting Scammed

Craigslist has an excellent guide on how to avoid getting scammed. Here are the highlights:

• Deal locally with people you can meet in person.
• Do not wire funds via Western Union or another wire service.
• Beware of fake cashier checks and money orders (banks will cash these and then hold you responsible when they discover it is fake).
• Never rent an apartment without seeing the interior.
• Do not give out financial information or submit to a credit or background check until you have met the landlord in person.

Who To Notify About Frauds and Scams

• If you see a fraudulent listing on Walk Score, immediately click the "Report listing" link to notify us.
• Submit a complaint to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
• Submit a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about rental fraud.