Online rental housing scams persist in the Roanoke Valley. RVAR was notified just last week of three rental scams -- involving postings on craigslist, Postlets and Oodle Marketplace. NOTE: These are legitimate websites which facilitate many legitimate transactions.

Criminals search legitimate websites that list homes for sale. They take the photos and information in those ads and post it, with their own email address, in an online ad as an available rental. The supposed rental is often listed with a below market rate. Potential renters may be asked to send a deposit out of state and/or fill out credit applications asking for personal information like credit history and social security numbers. Criminals can use this information to commit identity fraud and/or steal money from their victims.

Click here for tips on what REALTORS should do and how to report rental scams.