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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in">Informational Bulletin<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Issued: January 22, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Rental Scam<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The MIT Police have been made aware of recent incidents incurred by students who are subleasing apartments at MIT Graduate dormitories. In this scam, the potential renter would send a check to the student for a significantly larger amount
over what the advertised amount was and request the overpayment be sent back to the potential renter. In some cases the scammer, or potential renter, may tell the student to keep the extra money for the inconvenience. Unfortunately the check does not have
the funds to cover it and is now fraudulent resulting in the sublicensor/student to be out of the entire amount of the original check.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy_security/fraud/operate/scams">https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy_security/fraud/operate/scams</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>According to Wells Fargo<o:p></o:p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Tips:</strong> If you are selling an item or renting property, never accept a check for more than the purchase or rental amount. Scammers can make fraudulent cashier’s checks look authentic and rely upon unsuspecting sellers to
trust that a cashier’s check must be legitimate. You can contact the bank on which a cashier’s check is drawn to verify its legitimacy or ask your own bank to help you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<h1><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:normal">The Cambridge Police site has the following crime prevention tip:<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:normal"><a href="http://www.cambridgema.gov/cpd/communityresources/CrimePrevention/craigslistscams.aspx">http://www.cambridgema.gov/cpd/communityresources/CrimePrevention/craigslistscams.aspx</a><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<h1><span style="font-size:12.0pt">CraigsList Rental Scams <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p>Are you in the market for a new place to live and dealing with a realtor seems to be out of the question? Where do you turn? A lot of people think that Craigslist holds many great opportunities for low cost rental properties.
<br>
<br>
But before you begin your search or sign on the dotted line, be aware that there are many unscrupulous people using Craigslist, posing as rental agents, just to get your personal and financial information.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The number of fake rental scams on Craigslist and other online classifieds continues to grow, with new aliases appearing daily. But while the names may change, the methods are always the same. Don’t believe these ads appear only on Craigslist. They could
show up anywhere!<br>
<br>
These thieves, mainly based in Nigeria, the U.K. and the U.S., are out to steal your money and your identity. However, the scammers could be in your own back yard.<br>
<br>
The Better Business Bureau advises to be on the lookout for the following for avoiding Craigslist apartment rental scams:<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
The email addresses they use usually are from yahoo, ymail, rocketmail, fastermail, live, hotmail and gmail, and they also post ads under anonymous craigslist addresses. They frequently change their aliases.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
The deal sounds too good to be true. Scammers will often list a rental for a very low price to lure in victims. Find out how comparable listings are priced, and if the rental comes in suspiciously low, walk away.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
They use photos stolen from other property advertisements or from home furnishing catalogues or hotel websites.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
They use fake names, often stolen from Facebook profiles or networking sites. Often they assume the identities of previous victims.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
What they all have in common is that sooner or later you get a request to transfer funds via Western Union, Moneygram or some other wire service.
<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
Never under any circumstances, wire money at the request of any prospective “landlord” via Western Union, Money Gram or any other wire service. Even if they tell you to wire the funds to a friend or relative’s name “to be safe,” it’s a trap!<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
Always check bbb.org to see if the “company” has any complaints.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p>For more tips, visit the <a href="http://atlanta.bbb.org/article/bbb-tips-on-avoiding-craigslist-apartment-rental-scams-29364" target="_blank">
Better Business Bureau</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are lots of resources available about scams. Please be aware of the potential for these types of get rich quick scams. Here are a few resources for you to utilize:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://housing.mit.edu/graduatefamily/sublicense_center">http://housing.mit.edu/graduatefamily/sublicense_center</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.mass.gov/ago/consumer-resources/consumer-information/">http://www.mass.gov/ago/consumer-resources/consumer-information/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in"><a href="http://www.ic3.gov/preventiontips.aspx">http://www.ic3.gov/preventiontips.aspx</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in"><a href="https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy_security/fraud/operate/scams">https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy_security/fraud/operate/scams</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-1.0in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you have been the victim of a crime please notify the MIT Police at 617-253-1212, or your local police department, if you do not live on campus.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Issued by:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Sgt. Cheryl Vossmer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">MIT Police 617-253-1212<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">301 Vassar St.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Cambridge, MA 02139<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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