Home rental fraud prompts consumer alert

March 22, 2010

Home rental fraud prompts consumer alert

LOS ANGELES – Prompted by a surge in home rental scams, District Attorney Steve Cooley issued a consumer warning today.

"Many houses have been vacated by homeowners facing foreclosure," Cooley said. "Con artists are profiting from this crisis by posing as landlords and renting vacant homes to unsuspecting renters. They offer enticing properties at below-market rental rates. In reality, they are stealing your money and leaving you homeless."

Cooley issued the warning in a written statement posted on the District Attorney's Web site at http://da.lacounty.gov/consumeralert.

The District Attorney's Consumer Alerts are issued periodically to caution the public of emerging methods of fraud and to provide information on reporting these potential crimes.

sdm

Shiara Dávila-Morales
Media Relations Division
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
(213) 974-6724
(213) 974-3528
http://da.lacounty.gov