Craigslist Scammers

Well, I got several replies to a re-post of my "For Lease" ad over the weekend. One person, in particular, sounded very vague and had broken English, so I figured it was one of those scammers I heard about who lurk on Craigslist looking for opportunities. They usually say they are overseas, and need housing, and yours always looks the best. Further along, they'll then tell you they can send you a check in advance, blah, blah, blah, and you end up in hot water. I decided to respond with a one-line message asking them if they needed any info. I then got a replay - again, in broken English - telling me they are a doctor stationed in the UK, but will be in the states to work on some project (no name or any other info, of course), and so on. I decided not to pursue it any further.

I actually got another email, which sounded legit, but there is a catch. It's a husband and wife, who are seeking a house in my area to rent. The only problem is they only need it for TWO months as their house is expected to close in late Dec/early Jan. I'm a little iffy on these types of deals, because they can be squatters who end up staying for 6 months (rent free, of course) and drag you throught the courts when you try to evict. Most of the times a good pre-screen can weed these types out, but not always. Again, they sound legit, but I just don't know if I want to chance it. I have someone who is interested in buying the property in the wings, too, so I'm thinking maybe I can rent it out for two months to give this person more time to do their due diligence. We'll see.