MONROE, La. – The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office says another national scam being reported in Ouachita Parish. OPSO sent out the following information on April 28, 2021.
“Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Investigators are investigating reports of a nationwide scam involving renting or buying houses online.
“Scammers are taking information from legitimate real estate listings from real estate sites and then posting the information on Facebook Marketplace and Zillow, falsely representing themselves as the owners of the listed property. In some cases, they have used fake identification and even the real owner’s name. The common indicator that it is a scam is that they ask for payment to be sent electronically via Bitcoin, cash cards or other 3rd party payment methods.
“To Help Protect You Against Fraud:
“Be suspicious of anyone who asks for a cash deposit upfront to see the property. Ensure you are dealing with the real property owner before negotiating rental terms or seeing a property in person. You can check records with the local Tax Assessor’s office to find out who the current property owner is and look for their contact information online.”
