Tips to Avoid Rental Scams and Protect Your Housing Rights

Learn how to recognize and prevent rental scams, including avoiding payment methods like cash or gift cards, and safeguarding personal information. Discover resources to seek legitimate assistance and report fraud.

• Rental scams
• Housing rights
• Avoid fraud
• Tenant resources
• Protection tips

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Uploaded on Oct 01, 2024 | 0 Views

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1. Avoiding a Scam When Renting a Place to Live First name Last name | Date

2. Who We Are and What We Do Enforcement Consumer and Business Education Building Partnerships and Coalitions

3. Rental Housing Scams Scammers hijack rental listings Scammers pose as legitimate agents

4. How to Avoid Rental Housing Scams Never pay with cash, wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. That s a sign of a scam. Don t pay a security deposit or rent before you ve met or signed a lease. Do an online search for the rental company Check out the property

5. Spot Section 8 Impersonator Scams Scammers Section 8 websites can look real But you don t have to pay to get on real Section 8 waiting lists Only scammers demand payment by gift card, prepaid card, or money transfer

6. Legitimate Section 8 Waiting List: How Things Really Work Contact your local housing authority It s free to sign up Safeguard your Social Security number Visit hud.gov/program_offices

7. Scams Targeting People Facing Eviction Scammers pretend to be from the government They say they can help, but they need your account information Don t do it: they ll clean out your bank account

8. How to avoid scams and get real help Help in your community consumerfinance.gov/renthelp lawhelp.org/resource/rent-and-eviction-help- resources Your rights as a tenant usa.gov/state-courts

9. Report Fraud to the FTC English: ReportFraud.ftc.gov Spanish: ReporteFraude.ftc.gov

10. Get and Share FREE Resources Learn about scams: consumer.ftc.gov Keep in touch: ftc.gov/consumeralerts Get print materials: ftc.gov/bulkorder

11. Questions

12. Thank you