Authorities are warning of a recent scam that involves rental property on real estate Web sites.
The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office was alerted this week that the person perpetrating the scam is apparently using the ads of homes for sale on the Web sites of real estate companies, said sheriff’s spokesman Bob Gault.
When people expressing interest in a particular property corresponded by e-mail with the person sending the scams, who identifies himself as the property owner, he tells them he is outside the United States, and therefore willing to enter into a rental agreement, Mr. Gault said.
The e-mail address used for the scam is the actual property owners name at yahoo.com. Victims were instructed to send their money to an overseas address and told they would receive the key by return mail, he said.
People searching for rental properties should use a reputable rental agency and should never complete a transaction based on e-mails, Mr. Gault said.