Sadly, rental scams are becoming more common, and they hurt everyone. At MS Coast Rentals, we take scams seriously. We work hard to make sure our rental screening process is fair, transparent, and safe.
What does a rental scam look like? Scams can take many forms, but in general the scams we’ve seen follow this pattern:
- A scammer steals our listing photos from our website.
- The scammer creates their own fake listing, often for a lower price, on sites like Facebook or Craigslist, with a fake phone number and email address.
- There is no approval process. The scammer doesn’t ask for an application or a credit check.
- The scammer asks for an electronic payment like a wire transfer, Western Union, MoneyGram, Bitcoin, or payment app like Zelle or PayPal.
- The scammer disappears once you send the money, and there is no way to get it back.
As a renter, here are 4 things you can do to better protect yourself from scammers:
1. Pay close attention to listing photos. All of our photos are watermarked with the words MS Coast Rentals and Rent Engine. If you don’t see a watermark, it’s probably a scam.
2. Be realistic. If the process seems too easy or the rent is too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. We have a standard approval process, and we always require application fees and credit checks.
3. Never send money online or with an app. We only accept certified funds (cashier’s check or money order made out to MS Coast Rentals) in-person, either in the office or at the listed property. We will never ask for payment via services like Apple Pay, Paypal, CashApp, Zelle, or Venmo.
4. Meet our staff face-to-face if you have any questions or concerns. And never sign a lease for a house you haven’t seen! Property showings are scheduled on our website, using a secure process.
If you ever have questions about renting a property, call us at 228-400-6690 or 228-364-1818, or visit us in person at 2318 Pass Road, Suite 7C, Biloxi MS 39531.
And if you see an MS Coast Rentals listing online that looks like a scam, please take a screenshot and let us know.
