Fraudulent Online Listing Costs Woman Over $1K In Rent Scam

A woman who wants to move to Tulsa is sounding the alarm after she said she lost more than a $1,000 to a rental scam.

Sarah Rhinehart said she searched for a home online, but said a website she thought was trustworthy connected her with a scammer.

Rhinehart said everything seems to look legitimate from the listings to the application process. It wasn't until after she sent money for the deposit that she realized she was scammed.

When searching for a home to buy or rent, websites can make finding a new place to live more convenient, especially if you don't live in the city where you are moving.

Rhinehart is moving from Guthrie to Tulsa for her new job, and thought she found the perfect place.

"It was a very thorough application process actually. We had to have five renter references, personal reference, the whole nine yards. So, I thought this is legitimate,” Rhinehart said.

Rhinehart said she and her roommate sent $150 for an application fee and another $1,000 for the deposit through Venmo to someone who claimed to be "Frank Edward."

She said "Frank" asked for another $1,700 for the first month's rent, but something felt off, so she asked for "Frank's" driver license.

When she looked at the photo, she realized it was fake because of a number at the bottom of the license.

"We just got scammed,” Rhinehart added.

Rhinehart drove to the listed home in Tulsa where she met the people who own the house.

They told her it is not for rent and had no idea their home was listed online.

Rhinehart said the homeowners then had the listing removed from the website.

"You don't assume people are going to scam you. You kind of have the trust that everyone has your - I mean, not your best interests in mind - but that they're not going to take advantage of you,” Rhinehart said.

Rhinehart said she and her roommate did file a police report, but they don't think they will ever see that money again.

Keller Williams Realty said you can always reach out to a property management group or a realtor and they will make sure the home is legit.