Some off-campus housing tenants and renters in the Buffalo area are currently experiencing a new twist on an old scam.
Scammers claiming to be international students attending UB express interest in rental property and then send the properties' respective landlords checks that exceed the necessary security deposit and one month's rent. The scammer then receives the excess funds back from the renter, who has unknowingly cashed a fraudulent check.
By the time the renter realizes this, the money they have refunded is long gone.
According to Public Safety Investigator Delbert Rehberg of the University Police, there have only been a small number of investigations involving this particular scam.
"The biggest problem of investigating (this crime) is that a lot don't report it," Rehberg said.
University Police have been trying to combat fraudulence by increasing awareness. For students moving off campus, resources are available online through Sub-Board I, Inc. including information about lease signing and tips for avoiding being victimized when looking for off-campus residence.
Investigators advise students to be especially cautious when searching for an apartment. There have been reports of a number of apartment scams in the Buffalo area in recent months, and both landlords and tenants should take steps to avoiding apartment scams, according to Rehberg.
"If a person has any inclination of something fishy going on, they shouldn't deal with (the landlord)," Rehberg said. "They should absolutely know whom they're dealing with. That goes for any business transaction."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
