A Nashville man says he is living out of his car after a fake Craigslist rental listing led him to pay through Zelle and Cash App, move into an East Nashville duplex, and then learn the lease was not real.
The man, identified only as Tony by NewsChannel 5, said he thought he had found a decent rental with a landlord willing to work with him. The person posing as the landlord guided him through the property over the phone, accepted payment, and sent him a lease.
Metro Nashville police said they have received nearly 200 reports of fake rental deals across the city this year. Some victims have lost a few thousand dollars, and police said scammers have used real security codes to get people into homes before the real owner or leasing agent discovers what happened.
Tony said the fake listing cost him more than money. After the real leasing agency contacted him and told him he had been scammed, he filed a police report and said he was left living out of his car.
The Fake Landlord Sent A Lease And Took Payment
Tony told NewsChannel 5 that he found the East Nashville duplex on Craigslist and was directed to download a legitimate app to schedule a self-guided tour. He said the person posing as the landlord called him, gave him numbers to enter, and the lockbox opened with keys inside.
Tony said he believed the home was his after sending payment, receiving a lease, and moving in. He later left a review for the property on the app, and that review alerted the actual leasing agency.
The agency called him and told him he had been scammed, according to NewsChannel 5. Tony said he had thought he had finally found a place with affordable rent and someone willing to give him a chance.
Police Say Real Security Codes Are Being Used In Fake Listings
Metro Nashville Police Sgt. Clinton Schroeder told NewsChannel 5 that some rental scam victims have received real security codes and moved into homes before the scam is discovered. He said the losses in cases like Tony’s can reach a few thousand dollars.
WSMV reported that scammers often copy real photos and descriptions from actual homes or apartments, post them on secondary sites such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, and replace the legitimate agent’s contact information with their own.
Schroeder told WSMV that victims may first be asked for a smaller $200 to $300 hold fee through Zelle or Cash App. Once that first payment is made, police said losses can grow into rent, deposits, and other move-in costs.
Police warned that a working door code does not prove the person collecting money controls the property. Schroeder said those codes can be obtained and passed along by someone who has no right to rent the home.
Nearly 200 Reports Have Come In This Year
Schroeder told NewsChannel 5 that Metro Nashville police have received approximately 200 rental scam reports across the city this year. WSMV reported that no arrests had been made this year in the rental scam cases.
The cases are difficult to trace because the fake profiles can disappear quickly and the money often moves fast, according to WSMV. Schroeder said the money may move to cryptocurrency and leave the United States, leaving many victims with little chance of recovering what they sent.
Police said renters should compare listings across multiple platforms before sending money. A different agent name, phone number, email address, or price for the same property should stop the deal until the renter verifies the listing through the real property manager or owner.
The Real Leasing Source Is The Best Check
The Federal Trade Commission warns that rental scammers copy photos and descriptions from legitimate listings, replace the real contact information, and collect application fees, deposits, first month’s rent, or other payments before disappearing.
The FTC says renters should search the property address with the owner or rental company name, then check the rental company’s website directly to see whether the property is listed there. The agency also says people should not send payment for a property they have not seen or to a person they have not met in person.
For Nashville renters, that means a Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace listing should be checked against the property manager’s official website, a first-party rental platform, or a verified leasing office number found independently. A request to pay quickly through Zelle, Cash App, wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency before meeting the real manager should be treated as a stop sign.
Tony told NewsChannel 5 he shared his story because the scam affected more than his bank account. “I am living out of my car, so that’s where we’re at right now,” he said.