NPD CALL ACTIVITY REPORT:
CraigsList Rental Scams;
The number of fake rental scams on Craigslist and other online
classifieds continues to grow, with new aliases appearing daily. But
while the names may change, the methods are always the same. Don’t
believe these ads appear only on Craigslist. They could show up
anywhere!
These thieves, mainly based in Nigeria, the U.K. and
the U.S., are out to steal your money and your identity. However, the
scammers could be in your own back yard.
The Better Business Bureau advises to be on the lookout for the following for avoiding Craigslist apartment rental scams:
• The email addresses they use usually are from yahoo, ymail,
rocketmail, fastermail, live, hotmail and gmail, and they also post ads
under anonymous craigslist addresses. They frequently change their
aliases.
• The deal sounds too good to be true. Scammers will often
list a rental for a very low price to lure in victims. Find out how
comparable listings are priced, and if the rental comes in suspiciously
low, walk away.
• They use photos stolen from other property advertisements or from home furnishing catalogues or hotel websites.
• They use fake names, often stolen from Facebook profiles or
networking sites. Often they assume the identities of previous victims.
• What they all have in common is that sooner or later you get a
request to transfer funds via Western Union, Moneygram or some other
wire service.
• Never under any circumstances, wire money at the
request of any prospective “landlord” via Western Union, Money Gram or
any other wire service. Even if they tell you to wire the funds to a
friend or relative’s name “to be safe,” it’s a trap!
• Always check bbb.org to see if the “company” has any complaints.
The NPD Call Activity Report fir Wednesday 11/2/16 is attached with some highlights below:
92 Total calls
8 Ambulance (Medical Assist Calls)
28 Door & School Checks / Burglar Alarm Checks (Residential / Commercial)
12 Motor Vehicle Enforcement Stops
2 Motor Vehicle Accidents (None serious)
No Vandalisms
No Burglaries
No Robberies
2 Arrests ; (1 Evading Responsibility, 1 Motor Vehicle Related Arrest)
The Wednesday 11/2/16 NPD Shift Analysis Report:
http://www.naugatuckpd.org/…/…/704/11.3.16_Shift_Analsys.pdf
Have a great Thursday everyone… We will be here!