The Culver City Police Department announced on Monday, September 9 that it was investigating a series of rental scams.
According to a statement, the CCPD said that they were, “actively investigating multiple recently reported cases of online rental scams that were initiated on social media. In each instance, a victim responded to a Facebook ad for an apartment rental. They agreed to meet the ‘seller’ at a location in Culver City, where they exchanged cash and a rental agreement. When the victim attempted to enter the rental, they discovered the keys did not open the door, and the suspect would no longer respond to messages. Investigators have received multiple reports of similar occurrences of this crime between July 4, 2024, and August 27, 2024.”
The police said that the methods used to scam people take various forms, “such as phantom listings of locations that are unavailable or may not exist, fake virtual tours that may be pre-recorded, and ad manipulation replicating genuine rental advertisements.”
The suspects at large include three unknown adults. One is an unknown female. A second is also female, Hispanic, age 20-30 years old, with a heavy build, red hair, pink jacket with lettering, and gray shorts. A third is a male, black, age 20-30 years old.
The CCPD is advising that, to prevent becoming a victim, watch for the following:
“Verify Contact Details: Cross-check the contact information in the listing with trustworthy sources; Avoid Personal Servers: Do not engage with anyone requesting you to use a personal server for communication; In-Person Inquiries: Ask questions about the property in person rather than via email; Be Cautious with Payment Requests: A reputable landlord won’t ask for payment before meeting you face-to-face or showing you the property in person; Utilize Professionals: If renting a property without seeing it, consider working with a licensed real estate broker or a trusted property management company; Research Listings: If you come across the same ad under a different name, it could indicate a potential scam.”
Anyone with information should contact the Culver City Police Department Public Information Officer, Jennifer Atenza, at (310) 253-6120, email jennifer.atenza@culvercity.org, or the Watch Commander at (310) 253-6202.
