Another scam is hitting the Morongo Basin – this time targeting people looking for long-term rental properties in 29 Palms.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s office reports that two separate victims said they found and applied for a rental property in Twentynine Palms through Craigslist. After filling out an online application and speaking with who they thought was a realtor on the phone, they were approved for the rental and were asked to secure their deposit through an online payment system like Zelle or Cash App.
After submitting payment and getting a “move in date” – the scammer disappears with the money, disconnecting the phone line and leaving the victim without a home to move into or their deposit.
Both victims lost approximately $2700 each. In one of the cases, the victim showed up on the property they thought they were renting on their move-in day only to find the person they were in contact with was unreachable, and the property having no records of their application.
Long-term rental properties in the Morongo Basin are already scarce, with short-term vacation rentals swallowing up the majority of affordable housing. This can put extra pressure on locals who are just looking for a place to rent, and the scammers use that to their advantage by asking to send the deposit immediately upon “application approval” so the renter can secure the property.
This is just the latest in a series of scams hitting the hi desert – however they all have one thing in common, and that’s sending money through an online app like Paypal, Venmo, Zelle or Cash App. The Sheriff’s Department wants to remind everyone to always be wary of using anonymous apps and payment systems for doing business. Most legitimate realtors and business professionals will usually meet you in person and use more legitimate forms of payment.
Z107.7 wants to remind you to always take your time with any transaction that primarily occurs online, as once money is transferred there is usually little recourse in recovering it.
Previously Reported:
