Tight Denver Rental Market Opens Opportunity For Scams

DENVER (CBS4)- With the median rent in Denver topping $1,700 a month, the opportunity for rental scams is growing. The scammers are taking advantage of people desperate to find affordable housing.

Richard Williams has been searching for a home to rent in the Denver metro area for nearly six months. Instead of finding an affordable option, he found that it is easy to get ripped off if you're not paying attention.

"The guy didn't own the house nor did he have anything to do with it," Williams said.

Williams explained that he found a home on Zillow.com located on Xavier Street and thought it was for rent. He requested information about the place and was asked to fill out an online application that included private information like his annual salary.

"I filled it out. He wanted to send me the keys via UPS," said Williams.

That was a red flag for Williams. His fiancee, Annette Thurmond, had just recently been schemed out of thousands of dollars.

"We were supposed to meet with this guy at the place, went and signed the papers. He said, 'Oh, I forgot my paperwork and the keys on my desk. It's just right up the road.' Never came back, had my money, had everything," said Thurmond.

Williams refused to send any money and decided to keep searching.

He found a home on Locust listed for rent on Craigslist and once again asked for information on how to apply. But once more inquiries were made, the home was not available for rent, only for sale.

"It's just frustrating. It's a waste of time," Williams said.

To avoid becoming a victim, Denver police advise renters never to send money to someone they haven't met.