Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Massachusetts
Landlord Alert -- Phishing Scam -- Online Apartment Ads
A landlord client of mine has been recieving urgent e-mail from a supposed doctor in England. She advertised on Craigslist.
The doctor cannot be verified to exist. He wants the landlord to take the money without a lease ("these things are best handled in person") but also wants to have furniture delivered an paid for with a check to be forwarded, etc. excess funds are to be sent to an address in the U.S. Midwest (what the HELL does this have to do with England, anyway?).
Can you trust such a plan?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Landlord Alert -- Phishing Scam
Of course you can't trust this, it's a classic phishing scam.
-Insist on voice verification;
-Insist on a mailing address to send out a tenancy agreement or lease (better to lose $30.00 on overnight delivery than $3,000.00 for a foreign scam);
-Watch out for vagueness about children, spouses, and significant others;
-Watch out for doctors in a rush to join a lucrative biotech firm, or similar item;
-Google all potential clients;
-Call telephone numbers provided;
-Google addresses given;
-Get references and SSN's or other ID information;
-Ask to verify professional licenses;
-Ask to verify new employment;
-Report fraud to the authorities;
-Maintain a special bank account for business purposes to avoid losing personal funds;
-Pay NOTHING to ANYONE until a check has been verified to have cleared, in full;
-NEVER NEVER NEVER rent an apartment without meeting the tenant.
Gregory P. Lee, Attorney at Law
Gregory P. Lee, Esq.
Attorney at Law
www.gregleelaw.com
"Always finishing the course."
Cell: 774-219-6247
Office: 508-643-4134
Fax: (866) 652-7197
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