KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — With the costs of rental houses hovering in East Tennessee, seeing a discount on-line could be tempting. Nonetheless, rip-off artists are out to reap the benefits of unsuspecting individuals who will take their bait.

Stephanie Duncan and Isiah Williams didn’t know each other till they met at a home earlier this month in North Knoxville. Every had discovered the two-bedroom, 1,000 square-foot house on-line listed at $500 a month. That’s about $600 beneath the typical listed rental value for a home that measurement.

“We’re looking for a spot to reside, I went on Fb Market, that’s the place I discovered the itemizing for $500 for a month,” Williams mentioned.

“I noticed it on Fb Market,” Duncan mentioned. “It was posted by Andrew Cummings for $500.”

Duncan saved the textual content messages from Cummings. The messages present he wished $250 prematurely.

“He initially requested me to ship it via CashApp,” she mentioned of Cummings. “I mentioned I don’t have Money App. So he mentioned, ‘Are you able to meet me in West Knoxville?’ He had me meet him at Test into Money to present him a part of the deposit to safe the home as mine and to take down the itemizing. So I met him, gave him the cash and he was supposed to present me a receipt. And his father was supposed to satisfy me right here at 5 o’clock for the signing and every part.”

However at 5 o’clock that day, the one particular person on the home was Williams, He was ready to satisfy Cummings who by no means confirmed up.

“Humorous factor is, simply earlier than I left work I used to be speaking to certainly one of my buddies, he mentioned to ensure it isn’t a rip-off,” Williams mentioned. “I mentioned it appeared like a legit factor as a result of I talked to the man on the cellphone and it appeared legit. Nicely it turned out my good friend was proper.”

After calling the quantity Cummings had given her, she left a message. Inside 5 minutes, she will get a name, but it surely’s not from Cummings quantity.

“Why did you simply name me again and say you missed my name. You sound like Andrew,” mentioned Duncan on the cellphone with the quantity that known as again.

“No, my title is Justin,” the voice on the cellphone says.

The Federal Commerce Fee says rental house scams are available in many types together with leases posted on the web that don’t exist as described, month-to-month hire that’s far beneath the typical value in your space, pretend rental advertisements, and actual advertisements stolen and marketed by the scammer. In the event you fall for certainly one of these scams file a police report with regulation enforcement company instantly.

“I did, I made a police report with Knox County Sheriff,” Duncan mentioned.

Duncan says she’s despatched the division textual content message despatched to her from Cummings and his image. Nonetheless, she’s not gotten her $250 again. She hopes her mistake of giving the would-be landlord cash earlier than she noticed the home might be a lesson for others to not repeat.