Police warn: housing fraud is spreading on social media

As it is written in Zarasai d. In a press release from the SC, in the first case, the woman announced on her personal Facebook account that she intended to rent a home. A stranger contacted the woman and offered to rent her an apartment. As the woman liked the proposed apartment, she transferred a security deposit of 270 euros at the request of the alleged owner of the apartment. As soon as he received the money, the scammers blocked his Facebook account and the woman could no longer contact him.

A month later, two more similar events took place in Zarasai. They differ in that the victims themselves found a rental housing ad on a Facebook group. The victims contacted the alleged landlord through a Facebook account, agreed to rent a home and also transferred a deposit. When the tenants arrived at the agreed place to inspect the apartment, no one received them and they could not contact the alleged owner of the apartment.

Zarasai d. Neringa Čegienė, Head of the PK Activity Department, points out that the number of cybercrimes in the Republic of Lithuania, as well as around the world, is constantly growing. People who commit these types of crimes are constantly improving, changing strategies and adapting new methods. Usually, to buy the required product in the electronic space, we search for the desired product or service, price analysis, and often the buyer’s choice is determined by the cheapest price offered or the urgent service provided.

People who are used to spending a lot of time on social media buy, sell and search for information there without thinking that they can be easily fooled. Attractive offers can often be found on Facebook accounts, but police advise you to be careful not to lose your vigilance.

What to do, reports the Zarasai district. Rosita Gurskaja, PK Community Officer:

• If possible, use local retail websites; it will simply be easier to resolve any issues you may have.
• Do Your Research – Check store reviews before you buy.
• Pay only safely. Transfer money directly? Think again!
• Pay only when connected to a secure internet connection and avoid free or public wireless networks.
• Be wary of advertisements that offer incredible prices or magical products. If the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is!
• Does a window appear indicating you won a prize? Think again, you can win unless malware.
• Avoid advance payments to strangers.
• If possible, save all communications, such as correspondence.
• Be aware of spelling and grammar mistakes, narrative inconsistencies.
• If you suspect a fraud attempt, report it to the police, even if you were not the victim of a scam.