A 20-year-old college student in Greensboro, North Carolina, says a Facebook Marketplace rental listing turned into a housing scam after he signed what he believed was a real lease and moved into the apartment.
Zymeer Reyes-Siler told FOX8 WGHP that he found what appeared to be a legitimate apartment listing, communicated with someone about the property, signed a lease, and moved his belongings inside.
Two days later, he returned and found his belongings outside. A no-trespassing sign had been placed on the door.
The real property management company later confirmed that the lease was fake and that the person Reyes-Siler had been communicating with was not connected to the company, according to FOX8.
The Listing Came Through Facebook Marketplace
Reyes-Siler said he found the apartment after needing a new place to live. The person behind the listing answered his questions, sent him a lease, and directed him through the property’s real self-showing system.
The apartment existed, the tour process worked, and the paperwork looked convincing enough for him to move in.
But the person communicating with him did not have authority to rent the unit, according to the real property management company. The lease Reyes-Siler signed was not valid.
His Belongings Were Outside Two Days Later
When Reyes-Siler came back two days after moving in, everything he owned had been placed outside. Many of his belongings were damaged after being left outdoors, according to his account.
The no-trespassing sign on the door showed that the property manager did not recognize him as a lawful tenant. FOX8’s video report described the loss as $1,300.
Reyes-Siler also said he found other people in the area who reported being scammed by the same name, suggesting his case may not have been the only rental listing tied to that person.
He Reported The Case And Is Still Trying To Recover
Reyes-Siler said he reported the situation to Chime, law enforcement, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. After the rental fell apart, he had to move his belongings into storage and temporarily stay with his girlfriend’s family.
He also started a GoFundMe under the name Zy Siler to help replace essentials, regain stable housing, keep transportation reliable, and continue working toward his college degree.
In the fundraiser, Reyes-Siler wrote that he had not recovered what he lost and that the temporary housing arrangement was not a long-term solution with the fall semester approaching.
A Self-Guided Tour Does Not Prove A Rental Listing Is Real
The Federal Trade Commission says rental scammers often copy pictures, descriptions, or virtual tours from real online listings, replace the agent’s contact information with their own, and repost the fake ad somewhere else.
That means a renter can be shown a real address, real photos, or even a real tour process while still dealing with someone who has no right to lease the property.
Before sending an application fee, deposit, or first month’s rent, renters should search the property address and compare the listing with the rental company’s official website. If the same address appears with a different owner, manager, price, or contact name, the FTC says that can be a warning sign.
Renters Should Verify The Manager Before Paying
A renter should contact the property owner or management company through information found independently, not through a phone number, email address, Facebook profile, or payment instructions sent by the person behind the listing.
Red flags include pressure to pay quickly, requests for payment through cash apps or unusual methods, a landlord who avoids direct verification, a lease sent before the renter confirms ownership, or a listing that appears on social media but not on the property manager’s official site.
Rental scams can be reported to local law enforcement, the platform where the listing appeared, the state attorney general, and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Renters should save the listing, messages, lease, payment receipts, self-tour instructions, screenshots, names, phone numbers, and any communication with the real property manager.