Beware of Rental Scams on Clasificadospr.com

Mermaidmb Active member

Member since 20 August 2020

MermaidmbActive member10 July 2021 20:06:07

There’s a lot of great sounding rental homes on www.clasificadospr.com and you will get a response fairly quickly from “supposed owner” telling you that you can’t see inside the house as they have the only keys and they are not in Puerto Rico. I was looking at several different places and found at least 3 that I know are fakes. I then found one of the ones I looked at posted on a Facebook Group in Marketplace by a Realtor with a picture of the same house I had looked at warning against sending any money. They are quick to tell you to send a deposit and they will send you the keys. One individual was very persistent with sending me multiple texts & then calling me. I see lots of them have contact names that are not typical Hispanic names & the phone #’s listed don’t start with the area codes from Puerto Rico 787 & 939. Please be very careful.

abthree Brazil Expert

Member since 28 December 2017

abthreeBrazil Expert10 July 2021 20:46:01

6330

07/10/21

Warning delivered.

Expats in Brazil are very unlikely to be looking for rentals in Puerto Rico. "Very unlikely" is not the same as "never", though, so thanks for the heads-up.

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

Member since 13 March 2014

cccmediaEcuador/Colombia Expert10 July 2021 20:47:51

10285

Apparent scammers have been contacting me via Expat.com PM (personal or private messaging) -- two different parties this weekend, in fact.

Last month, a PM-er had an urgent situation, he said, requesting my assistance. He opened with "I want to talk to you. Plzzz contact me plzzz" .. tried to divert us off PM's and onto WhatsApp .. and persisted without disclosing the pertinent details except to say it involved "a mum."

Finally, he stopped messaging when I PM'ed him that we had already exchanged eight messages .. and if it was truly important, he would have told me the details by now.

I typically 'report' such messages to Expat.com's Home Office.

As for a message I received today, all in French, I am just leaving it alone.

cccmedia

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

Member since 08 August 2010

Germany & Singapore Expert

beppiGermany/Singapore Expert11 July 2021 07:23:03

15577

A stereotypical SCAM that exists worldwide.
It doesn't need much intelligence to not send money without having any concrete proof (only words). I have almost as little sympathy for the victims as for the perpetrators of such.

TominStuttgart Germany Expert

Member since 19 March 2012

TominStuttgartGermany Expert11 July 2021 08:35:32

2792

This is why I am quick to report scammers. Some posters take offense when I point out that their posts or messages make no sense; like claiming totally different nationalities to their profile or claiming to be a 17 year old business woman. And the vague; "I want to talk to you about something" is usually nonsense. Get to the point or get banned

LoveGreenTea Member

Member since 20 April 2015

LoveGreenTeaMember12 July 2021 18:55:52

Thanks for the warning! This came very timely as I am in search for a long-term rental apartment in Paris which I will need early next year. Have a great day!