Craigslist scam in Kalamazoo
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – People trying to find a house to rent in Kalamazoo are coming across a bogus ad on Craigslist.
The ad looks legitimate, and even offers up a local realtor's name, but the problem is that someone stole all that information and is posting the home in an effort to score some quick cash.
While Newschannel 3 was out investigating the story on Friday, we found someone responding to that Craigslist ad. She's a mom who's fairly new to town and looking for a place for her family.
“I seen the house on Craigslist,” said Queondrea Thurmand.
Thurmand says she was immediately interested in what was listed as an affordable rental on Mount Olivet, but when she got to the house, she found out the online ad wasn't what she thought.
“I walked up to the house and asked, and he told me it's a scam, it's not true,” said Thurmand.
The house in question is for sale. ReMax Realtor Shelly Pattison is handling the listing, but someone, using Pattison's name, made up a Craigslist ad saying the house is for rent.
Pattison says she first started getting calls on Tuesday and immediately set out to figure out what was going on.
“I went to Craigslist, an ad for $600 a month, and it had pictures of my house, interior of my house, and verbiage of listing,” said Pattison.
Pattison sent an email posing as an interested renter.
“When they responded, they said they were in Nigeria, it was their house and they had to move and needed someone to take care of it,” said Pattison.
The would-be renter would need to fill out an application, and send $600, then keys would be sent in the mail.
Pattison has contacted Craigslist, and the FBI internet unit.
ReMax does advertise its houses for sale on Craigslist, but never asks people to send money.
“You would not just give keys without meeting them,” said Pattison.
Thurmand says she's glad that she found out the ad was false before pursuing it any further.
“I'm angry,” said Thurmand, “I'm very angry. It's sad people would do something like that.”
When Newschannel 3 checked Craigslist on Friday, the listing was still posted.
A warning on Craigslist tells online users to beware of people who are out of the country, or who you can't meet in person.
