A Mableton mother says a Facebook Marketplace rental listing left her without the home she thought she had secured.
Natalie Turner found the house online and contacted the person who posted it, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
The listing appeared convincing enough to lead to a tour, a lease, and payments for rent and a deposit.
The home was actually owned by Opendoor and was not available for rent.
The Scammer Sent a Lease and Took Payment
When Turner arrived for a tour, a man guided her over the phone through an app that gave her access to the property. Turner also saw a sign saying the house was not for rent, but she said the man explained that he had decided to rent it after it had sat for sale for six months.
After the tour, the scammer sent Turner what FOX 5 described as a highly professional lease agreement. He also completed requested repairs on the property, which made the rental arrangement appear more credible.
Turner then transferred her deposit and first month’s rent through Zelle. The report did not list the total amount she paid, but it said the scam cost her both the deposit and rent money.
The Move-In Day Exposed the Scam
Turner arrived to move in with her baby and dog, but the front door was locked.
After she entered through the back door, she realized the person she believed was handling the rental had blocked her phone number.
She called 911, but dispatchers told her the matter was civil. About 48 hours later, Opendoor security and four police officers arrived after motion sensors at the home were triggered.
The House Was Owned by Opendoor
When Turner showed the lease, she was told she had been scammed and needed to contact Opendoor. The company later gave her time to leave the property and assisted her financially because of the loss, according to FOX 5.
Opendoor says it never rents homes and warns that any rental listing for an Opendoor-owned property is fraudulent.
The company says scammers often copy photos, descriptions, and addresses from real for-sale listings and repost them as fake rentals on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace.
Officials had not confirmed the identity of the scammer, according to FOX 5.
App Access and a Lease Still Do Not Prove a Rental Is Real
Renters should verify who owns or manages the home before sending a deposit or first month’s rent. That can include checking county property records, searching the address, contacting the company named on the sign or listing, and calling the rental company through its official website instead of a number provided by a Facebook profile.
Suspected rental fraud should be reported to the payment provider, the real property owner or listing company, Facebook Marketplace, local law enforcement, the state attorney general’s office, and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.