Q:   "I'm searching for an apartment but I've heard about some scams that exist. How can I make sure I don't fall victim to one of these scams?"
-Norman

A:   Apartment scams have always existed, but with advances in technology and greater access to information, con artists have become quite savvy at figuring out ways to cheat you out of your money. However, by proceeding with caution, you can steer clear of the pitfalls that arise with renting in the city. The most prevalent scam in Manhattan involves payment prior to move in, and then never hearing from the renter again. NYU student Pierre fell victim to this very scam, and lost a lot of money as a result.

"I found a great apartment in Midtown Manhattan within my price range on roommate.com", exclaimed Pierre. "I thought everything was perfect, but then I got a strange feeling every time the landlord called me with a new problem."

Scam in the City

• Pierre's potential landlord would repeatedly cancel their scheduled appointments to view the apartment, for various reasons. Eventually the landlord requested that Pierre wire him the security deposit and he would leave the keys with his lawyer. Furthermore, if Pierre wasn’t happy with what he saw, then he would get his deposit back. Then he encountered another problem: "The landlord called him and said that the lawyer, based in San Diego, needed to fly into New York City to handover the keys, but for him to fly back, Pierre needed to pay him the first month's rent." He realized the deal was strange and told the landlord he was no longer interested and wanted his security deposit back. Pierre never heard from the landlord again, despite "many many calls and emails." It turns out the lawyer that the landlord was using, in fact, did not exist and sent a stolen passport as proof of identification. Pierre was now out $900 and he couldn't do anything about it! Upon further investigation, Pierre found out that the building he was going to move into wasn't even a residential building: it was a commercial property. You can avoid this mix-up by visiting sites such as www.propertyshark.com to get the building details, uses, and records.


• Another scam that hit a few renters in New York City occurred when a man showed his apartment to potential renters, took their deposit and first month's rent and handed over the keys, only to find out that another person had already moved in, upon walking into their new home. These apartments were listed for rent on Craigslist. According to MyFox anchorman John Deutzman, the last person handed over $3,900, only to find someone else residing in his new apartment!


• Another renter got ripped off in the amount of $2,000 dollars, after agreeing to rent an apartment without going to look at it. She saw pictures online, but it turned out they were fake pictures. In fact, the apartment didn't even exist in the supposed Chelsea apartment complex. Deutzman mentioned in his report that although these scams are especially hard to spot, one should always "get real nosey." Talk to the building's super the doorman, even the neighbors. Ideally, those people could warn you if something is fishy. Always check out the place before writing a check to steer clear of these potential scams and geting trapped in anything dangerous. To view Deutzman's complete report, click here.

Always Use Caution


These scams can be seriously detrimental to your bank account, so caution must always be executed. Look out for the following signs, which could potentially lead to one of these scams -

• If the landlord renting out the apartment says he is out of the country and needs the money wired to him before meeting in person, you should refrain.
  Top 5 ways to avoid a scam

  
  
• Always get a written lease, the keys, and make the first payment at the same time. Don't pay before receiving any confirmation of the rent.


• Meet the landlord in person before giving any payment or guarantee.


• Verify residence of landlord (proof of ID and address).


• Verify building type.


• Never wire money overseas.