North Canton police warn of rental scam using fake listings on legitimate real estate sites

NORTH CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - The North Canton Police Department is warning residents Wednesday about a rental property scam with scammers sharing fake listings on legitimate real estate websites.

According to the department, scammers are posting fake rental listings on legitimate websites, including Redfin and Realtor.com, and attempting to obtain personal and financial information from potential renters.

Police say these scams involve scammers advertising on these websites and asking interested renters to complete an application that includes providing sensitive information such as pay stubs and bank records.

From there, scammers request security deposits or other payments through bank transfers, police report. Police say these scams could cause victims to lose money and expose them to identity theft.

Police report that one property advertised in this scam was located on Harmon Street SW in North Canton.

The department is now advising anyone who may be applying for a rental property to take the following actions:

• Verify the identity of the property owner or rental agency.
• Be cautious when providing financial documents or personal information before confirming if the listing is legitimate.
• Never send a deposit without verifying the property and person are authorized to rent it.
• Even when a listing does appear on a well-known site, it doesn’t automatically mean it is legitimate.

Anyone who thinks they may have encountered a fake listing, already shared their information or provided a payment to a suspected scammer is encouraged by the North Canton Police Department to contact their local law enforcement agency.