Sea Girt, NJ Police Warn About Craigslist Summer Rental Scams

SEA GIRT, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - Renters at the Jersey Shore were left out in the cold – arriving for vacations and finding that they were fooled and their money was long gone.

As CBS2's Meg Baker reported, police in Sea Girt, New Jersey said they have received several complaints from victims who replied to a home for rent at on Craigslist.

Vacations down the shore are meant for positive memories. But for the victims, of course, they were anything but.

"You're going to be spending a lot of money to enjoy the Jersey Shore," said Sea Girt police Detective John M. DeMillio. "You should really do your due diligence to make sure you're not becoming a victim of a crime."

In the past three weeks, three families from New York, Virginia and Massachusetts fell for the bogus Jersey Shore rentals on Craigslist – costing them around $4,000.

The ad shows photos of the home, along with a list of features and amenities. In each case, the victims got in touch with the person who claimed to be the homeowner and, after making a deal, received an official-looking invoice and instructions to wire money into the account listed there.

After they sent the money, the victims would show up at the right place and time only to find out the home is not for rent.

In one instance, a victim arrived at a vacant lot where the home was supposed to be.

"The ad actually said that the house was pet-friendly, so they had their pet with them," DeMillio said.

The family saw a listing in which the fraudster used pictures from a house that no longer stands on Boston Boulevard. A new house is under construction at the site and is not finished or for rent.

Jennifer Patroll lives across the street.

"It's a very close-knit community – it's one square mile – and it's not something we want to be affiliated with the town of Sea Girt," Patroll said. "I mean, it seems to be a very nice town for families, and we want to keep it that way."

Another family showed up at a beachfront home that was never for rent.

"They wired the rent to them, drove down, and found the house locked and found nobody there," DeMillio said.

Police believe the scammers are using photos from online real estate listings of homes that recently sold. The true homeowners have no idea someone has listed their home for rent and usually find out when the renter shows up at their doorstep, police said.

The detective said scams are a reality of shopping online, and it is best to use a professional. Real estate agent Aileen Byrnefahy said if you are renting sight unseen – which many people from out of state do, you should rely on a realtor to make sure the listing is legitimate.

"We make sure everything is on the up and up; there's a contract. You know, we can research property look at the tax records," said Byrnefahy, of Gloria Nilson Reality.

Consumers are also advised to be wary of long-distance landlords, and not to wire money to anyone they have never met. And if a listing sounds too good to be true, it just may be.

For more information on rental scams, you can check out guidance from the Federal Trade Commission here or click here.

Sea Girt police urge anyone with any information about rental scams in the area to call them at (732) 449-7300 ext. 432 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 671-4400.