Multiple people fooled after scammer uses St. Johns woman’s home to post false rental ad

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla — There are several households accessible, with numerous folks wanting to obtain or rent.

It’s the proper established up for scammers to roll out the welcome mat and take your income, in accordance to realtors. 

Kathleen Floryan is a realtor in St. Johns County for eXe Realty. She’s been in the small business for 16 years. 

In the final couple weeks, a client wanted to market a dwelling in St. Augustine Beach. So Floryan put it on the market. 

I get this call from a lady in New York who was desperate,” Floryan informed To start with Coastline News. 

That girl in New York had the perception the dwelling in the St. Augustine Beach and Tennis Club was for rent, but it was not. It was for sale. 

The lady who named had discovered a listing on Craigslist, for the similar dwelling, and the listing reported it was for lease.  

The woman from New York was ready to send the male who posted the house on Craigslist $2,100 in purchase to safe the house. 

But right before sending money, “she Googled the assets tackle and discovered it for sale. She found my title affiliated with it,” Floryan reported. 

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Floryan then place the pieces alongside one another and learned that a further man – a scammer not connected with the residence – experienced made the Craigslist write-up.

“He even stole my description, indicating it is a “7-moment stroll to the beach,” Floryan pointed to the Craigslist post. 

She explained in 48 several hours, eight people almost fell for the listing on Craigslist, with income in hand.

Floryan is aware this fraud is not new, “But this is the first time it is occurred to me.”  And she thinks the small-inventory marketplace is key for scammers.

“The desperation is outrageous,” Floryan explained to To start with Coastline Information. “Folks just can’t come across a residence to buy. So they say, ‘I will hire for a while.’ They go out and acquire a appear for rentals. The rentals are not there either.  So when the (rentals) do arrive up or pop up, they really do not know whether it is legitimate or not.”

Floryan’s advice if you’re wanting for a home to hire or get is to to start with google the property due to the fact which is how this case started off to unravel.

Floryan also suggests deal with a licensed real estate agent or assets supervisor, specifically if it really is a sigh-unseen predicament. 

“You need to show up to the assets to make positive it exists.”

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