It’s no secret that Bend, Oregon is on the map as one of the best cities in the US to live. People are moving from all over the country to call Bend their home but beware, the scammers on Craigslist are one step ahead! There are now more Craigslist rental scams in Bend than ever before.

I am getting more and more emails from people looking to relocate to Bend, Oregon with a nightmare story of how they were scammed by someone advertising a rental on Craigslist. The frenetic rental market in Bend has resulted in such desperation that people are jumping at any opportunity to secure a rental from afar. Of course, not all Craigslist ads are scams but without a keen eye, knowledge of the city and the rental market, it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s a scam. Here are some tips to know what’s legitimate and some tell-tale signs to pick out Craigslist rental scams.

• Look for a phone number listed as a contact rather than just an email. Scammers don’t want to talk with you on the phone.

• Pay attention to the photo used in the rental post. Has this photo been used in another post with a different price, location, or description? Craigslist rental scams often use photos from other legitimate rental ads on Craigslist and commonly lower the rent to attract interest.

• Don’t be seduced by affordability. If the rent is too good to be true, it’s too good to be true! Bend, Oregon rentals are expensive. No property management company or landlord is renting for charity.

• Don’t click on a link to respond to the ad or cut and paste the link into your browser. A legitimate ad will give you the homeowner or property management company name, a phone number, or the ability to respond via email directly from the Craigslist ad. A valid advertisement will never require you to follow a provided link.

• If the ad requires you to respond with your personal information or an immediate application, that’s a red flag! No one needs to know anything about you before you apply for the property and you shouldn’t fill out any application until you’ve verified the ad is legit. Request to speak with someone on the phone or request additional photos or information about the property. Providing you with additional information shouldn’t be an issue unless it’s a Craigslist rental scam.

• When you inquire about a property and get a response stating a sense of urgency to apply, walk away! You may be in a rush to secure a rental but property management companies and landlords can and will take their time in selecting the best tenant for their property.

• Any time you receive a long-winded response from a “landlord” telling you they are traveling abroad, working for a charitable cause, or justifying their lack of response, it’s a scam! This is probably the most frequent and recognizable way to detect Craiglist rental scams but it works more than you’d like to believe.

How Can We Help?

Let Bend Relocation Services help you move to Bend, Oregon safely and stress-free. We know the market and have access to rentals before they are offered to the public. With almost two years in business, we have a 100% success rate and guarantee that we will find you a rental and steer clear of Craigslist rental scams!