A man in Nashville, Tennessee is scamming innocent victims off their money by presenting Section 8 vouchers for housing that seemed too good to be true to many people in search of a good home. There are already a few victims who already came forward but the police suspect there may be even more… and still counting.
1 woman was a victim of this when she saw a Craigslist ad and thought she found the right home for her and her family. They actually went to the house and they also took some pictures of it. On the ad there it says that they offer Section 8 vouchers for housing and there was a phone number. She called up the number and a guy who said he’s an MDHA employee answered. They met after and she paid him $1,300 as a deposit for rent and he, in turn, gave her the house keys… or so she though.
When she came to the house with the keys in hand, she tried to open the doors but figured the keys weren’t the right ones. She tried to call the number of the guy again but there was no answer.
Good thing they met in a downtown hotel and the image of the man was captured on camera. The man used the name James Kingsley but most likely that’s not his real name. MDHA, on the other hand, said that they never advertise on sites such as Craigslist and if you want a voucher, go directly to their office.
Alertness and a lot of common sense will serve you well especially when you get to see some phony ads such as a phony Craigslist’s Home Ad where the house is said to be for rent at just $1,000 a month! It’s a 3,000 sq. ft home and with a price tag of around $800,000! If you read this ad, you’d already know that it’s phony. A house that big would probably be rented for at least $5,000 a month and not just $1,000.
The house on the phony ad is on Auburn and it got lots of interested renters who came and asked about the place. Someone from Chicago even called and asked about it because it seemed too good to be true. Another woman called the number posted on the ad and she talked to somebody who was in Africa and had mailed her a form. If she bit the bait, she may have sent that person some money and would have brought a moving van with her to the house which is really not for rent.
It’s best to avoid this situation and always be alert that some scams are out there to get you.
People get victimized for housing scams and other types of scams where they trust a representative or a company that they just read about from ads on sites such as Craigslist. They depend on them without making any background check and later on they realize that they shouldn’t have trusted them at all. But, it is too late and they suffer the consequence.
Starting this 9th of April, there will be a public service announcement on theaters around the United States most especially on states where there are more foreclosures. It is a 30-second announcement that gives warning to people as well as advice on how to fight such scams that abuse people’s misery.
The ad’s message is actually quite simple. If you are having problem with foreclosures and you need help, go to their website and read their 5 tips for avoiding the foreclosure scams.
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