Better Business Bureau warns of phony Olympic rentals
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
Updated: November 12, 2009 3:27 PM
The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning that scammers are using Craigslist and other online classifieds to cash in as renters search for places to stay during the Olympics.
The business bureau says phony landlords are asking prospective renters to wire large deposits and sometimes homeowners are shocked to find strangers at their door who have been conned to believe they can move in.
In a release BBB president and CEO Lynda Pasacreta said the high demand for accommodation during the Olympics is "a recipe for disaster" as although online classifieds make it easier for people to find home rentals, "the listings are not vetted and prone to scams."
The business bureau claimed to cite an RCMP report about a scam in Whistler. One group from the U.S. attempted a $2,000-wire transfer to a fake landlord, in order to secure a property through the 2010 Winter Games.
In the release, the Better Business Bureau said prospective renters should watch for these "red flags":
-Prices that are so low they seem "too good to be true"
-The landlord only communicates by email and claims to be located elsewhere
-The landlord requires a substantial deposit, even before showing the home
-The landlord asks for money through wire transfer
newsroom@northshoreoutlook.com
