Scammers Pose As Landlords In Muskogee To Target Prospective Renters

A Muskogee man who rents houses said he and some of his tenants came this close to being victims of a scam they've never experienced before. 

It's a scam that was common years ago and is making the rounds again. He said scammers claim they own the property and offer it for rent, promising to hand over the keys as soon as they get the money. 

Dwayne Daughtery has been managing rental properties in the Muskogee area for more than 20 years.

"You have people who work hard and save their money up, and then send it off overseas thinking they are getting a rent house and not talking to someone who is actually the landlord of the property," he said. 

Daughtery said scammers have been targeting landlords and tenants. He said they will email tenants with his property information, saying they can have the keys if they'll send a deposit and the first month’s rent, which in this case would have been about $1,800.  

"We ended up having someone that contacted us, because we had a sign in the front yard that our phone number on it, and she told my wife she had been speaking with the owner," Daughtery said. 

Daughtery said he reached out to the police, and learned once the money is gone, they can't track it. He said after posting on social media, he found out other landlords and realtors have been going through this too. 

"I thought, this is crazy, who would claim to be the owner of the property, and be so persistent," Daughtery said. 

He's urging people to be careful to make sure they are not the victims of a scam. 

"We have people that all they do is sit on the computer, and think of ways to take people's hard-earned money, people that work hard for their money and take their money from them," Daughtery said. 

Daughtery said if you are renting from someone, they should not ask you to send money before meeting you face-to-face.