Rental scam costs Wake family thousands of dollars
Two families are out of thousands of dollars after they thought they found an affordable home in Wake County.
One of the families, who asked not to be identified by WRAL News, said the three bedroom home in Apex fit all the qualifications they had for a party of two.
"Everything seemed legit until we moved into the house," the man said.
Six days later, the locks were changed and deputies were at the door.
The couple said they saw the home online, called the number listed and text messages were exchanged. A priced was settled upon and the couple paid online and were told keys would be outside the home.
"Be very cautious. Do your research and don't do anything online," the man said.
Apex police said they've received two reports of the scam using the same house.
Now, the home in Apex has a magnet that states how those interested can properly rent the home.
The scammed family said they're trying to recover from losing over a thousand dollars.
"We are struggling. There is no one we can turn to. My only advice is to be careful and mindful of what you are doing," the man said.
Police say people can protect themselves from rental scams by doing research, checking real estate records online and contacting the owner listed. People are also encouraged to check with local law enforcement to see if the home has been previously used in a scam.
"Even though we might not get anything from this, I hope that it deters from future scams," the man said. "Nobody deserves this. We are all working, and we are supposed to look out for each other."
