The adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” continues to ring true.
Akron Detective Paul Hooper, who works in the police department’s financial crimes division, said there’s been a recent uptick in the number of people who are reporting that they’ve fallen for a twist on a classic scam.
The victims have responded to a Craigslist rental listing for what may be a legitimate house for rent. But the ad is likely a copycat of the original listing and offers a much lower rate for the rental.
When the potential renter contacts the lister, he or she is told a variety of things, such as the landlord was called out of town for a sick relative, so can’t meet to show the house. But if the renter wires a deposit, the landlord will immediately send the key.
“In the last two weeks, I’ve had three or four people complaining that these guys are operating in Akron,” Hooper said.
Hooper said Craigslist actively warns people to be wary of ads that sound too good to be true.
If a rental price sounds too low for that part of town, or if you cannot get inside to see it, be wary, Hooper said.
This letter is legit
In an age when so many things seems like they could be scams, it’s always a good idea to find another source to call or search online to verify the information.
George Hruby of Akron received a letter in the mail that said it was from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. But instead of coming from a Columbus address, it came from a post office box in Hudson.
That didn’t seem right, Hruby said. The letter informed Hruby that he had been randomly selected to verify that he carried auto insurance, per Ohio law. It asked him to provide proof of liability insurance.
“This has all the appearance of unlawful fraudulent phishing,” Hruby said. “I am highly suspicious of this request, first of all because the letterhead is partially cut off at the top, and further, the Ohio seal is somewhat fuzzy, as if resulting from a bad Photoshop copy job.”
It turns out it is a real letter from the Ohio BMV, from an office in Hudson that contracts with the state agency.
BMV spokeswoman Lindsey Bohrer confirmed the letter’s authenticity and the Hudson mailing address.
On the BMV’s website, it explains the Random Selection Program.
“The BMV uses a subsidiary office in Hudson, Ohio, to administer the initial phase of the Random Selection program. The BMV randomly selects 5,400 registered vehicles per week to provide proof of insurance for a selected date. Letters notifying the owner of the random selection are mailed to the address on file for the owner. A random selection suspension occurs if a vehicle owner fails to provide proof of insurance.”
When I asked Bohrer if there was a way for the BMV to better communicate with customers that the letter was legitimate or to use a Columbus address since not all drivers have Internet access, Bohrer said: “I completely understand your readers’ concerns. I will provide this feedback to the BMV and see if we can come up with a way to eliminate concerns regarding the validity of these letters.”
Go to http://tinyurl.com/bmvoh17 for more information on the program.
Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty