Minnesota Family Falls Victim To Housing Rental Scam

This is absolutely horrible...especially around the holidays. One Minnesota couple fell victim to a housing rental scam.

KARE 11 News in Minneapolis reported on the story. According to their report, this is what happened: the couple found a Craiglist ad for their dream home online, offered by a man who claimed he was taking care of his sick wife in California. He gave the couple an access code so they could get a key to the home and check it out by themselves.

Reports say the two signed a lease agreement and paid the landlord a deposit using a mobile app. It wasn't until a maintenance man showed up at their home to make repairs that they learned it all was a scam. The man told them the house was still up for rent and they needed to evacuate.

The couple says they only communicated with the man on the phone and never in person. They also say he was constantly asking about the deposit they needed to put down on their home, asking when it would arrive.

This story is a great reminder to do as much research as you can on any entity or organization before giving away any personal information or money. I hope the couple can find the man who did this, while also finding a place to live.