Why Does Facebook Room for Rent Uder Review

The I-Team is looking into reports of simulated housing deals popping up online.

TAMPA, Fla. — Renters are being taken reward of during the coronavirus pandemic.

I-Team investigator Adam Walser uncovered how people offering housing they don't own or have the right to rent out are taking money from unsuspecting tenants.

Ashley Reid, xx, of Tampa, got a big pause when a modeling agency called her in March, offer her work in Los Angeles.

She says she started looking for an apartment on Facebook.

"I joined this Facebook group to see if I could notice places because my friends recommended doing that," said Reid. "I put out that I was looking for a place, and I had like twenty people respond."

A human who said he was a rental agent sent her photos of an L.A. apartment for rent at near half the market rate.

"It was like the perfect place, and it was fully furnished, and it was in like the perfect area," said Reid.

Reid signed what she thought was a lease and used an app to ship $i,550.

But then things inverse.

"A couple of weeks went by, the coronavirus stuff started happening, so my agency said I couldn't come downwards anymore," she said.

Reid contacted the agent on Facebook messenger, and instead of agreeing to delay the rental, he demanded more than money.

"He was similar, 'Oh, people are wanting to book this place before you.' Which seemed weird because a lot of people aren't moving because of coronavirus and everything," said Reid.

And so Reid tried to get her deposit back.

"He said I would get the refund, which was like a day, then the next day he said, Ok, I should be sending presently," Reid said. "Then I was in the automobile driving with my friend and all the sudden I get a bulletin from him, and he says 'poverty caused this for me. I'm so sorry Ashley.' And and so he similar completely blocked me on Facebook and everything."

But we learned the human who took Reid'due south deposit had no authority to rent her that apartment.

We tracked down the building where Reid was promised an flat and chosen the leasing agent. They told usa there has only been one apartment available at that place within the past six months. He says he never signed a lease with anyone past the name of Ashley Reid or heard of the human being who took Reid's deposit.

Next, we looked at the link to the visitor website the man sent Reid – Our Homes U.Due south.

Nosotros uncovered the business address at the bottom of the folio is an upscale residential apartment edifice in New York City — a office of Manhattan nicknamed "billionaire's row" — and habitation to many celebrities.

The building'due south management company told united states it is in no way associated with Our Home U.S.

So there's a photograph in the "most" section of the website.

We found the same exact photo posted on the website for the Turkish Coalition of America. The coalition says the photo was taken during a 2015 business forum and had no thought the site was using it. The coalition said the picture was taken at the U.S. Capitol and included three members of Congress.

Nosotros tried calling the business numbers listed on the website and left messages. One was an untraceable Google voice phone number.

But when we didn't hear back, nosotros reached out directly to the man who took Reid's deposit on Facebook.

First, he messaged that his phone was bad. He later on agreed to a recorded conversation, only after a few seconds, he hung up and blocked us from his profile.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Keith Givens, who is over white-collar crime investigations in Fundamental Florida, says he can't speak to specific cases, merely in general, reports of renters losing money to imitation housing deals are on the ascension.

"We do meet that the overseas people practise favor using Facebook and other social media where they tin gear up a persona to attempt to rob people during this COVID time," Givens said.

He believes they use Facebook to run across potential victims considering it'due south relatively easy to exercise.

"They don't accept to have a appointment of nativity, a Social Security number that's verified. Basically, they create a persona where there's virtually no verification behind information technology," Givens said.

Tammy Sorrento is a licensed private investigator from Jacksonville. She spends her free fourth dimension trolling Facebook rental groups and reporting profiles she suspects are advertizing apartments they don't own or have the right to rent.

"They're actually using the virus to their benefit because now they take an excuse to say, 'I tin't show you the property because of the virus.' And that is just infuriating to me," Sorrento said.

Sorrento says she'southward tried to warn Facebook multiple times about profiles – including in a message she sent Facebook on March 3 about the homo who took Reid'southward money.

"I am doing everything I tin can to endeavor to shut them down. I don't fifty-fifty cease reporting them to Facebook, considering I hope that peradventure on the 50th fourth dimension that I study them, maybe, they'll go removed," she said.

Sorrento shared with us the response she received from Facebook.

"We reviewed the contour you reported, and it doesn't become against any of our community standards," was the reply.

We reached out to Facebook multiple times to find out what the social media company is doing about this problem, and we take however to hear back.

Reid says she's speaking out in the hopes that others will learn from her error.

"At to the lowest degree talk to them on the phone, and just make sure everything's existent. If yous're not seeing them on video chat or in person, you lot need to be very careful or don't do it," Reid said.

If you lot have a story you'd like the I-Squad to investigate, electronic mail u.s.a. at adam@abcactionnews.com.

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Source: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/scammers-are-using-facebook-to-rent-houses-they-dont-own-to-take-money-from-unsuspecting-tenants

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