Ten people arrived ready to rent a Yuma house. It was not for rent.

Picture answering your door and finding a stranger holding cash, ready to move into your house. Now imagine that happening at least 10 times.

That is what one Yuma-area homeowner told police this summer, according to an August report from AZFamily. Yuma Police Officer Hayato Johnson said people had submitted background and credit checks and arrived expecting to rent the home. The house was not for rent. Someone had copied its listing.

How the scam works

Scammers can copy a real property listing, use its photos and description, then repost it with different contact information and a price low enough to grab attention. Yuma-area real estate agent Jessica Drake told AZFamily that the copied ads can look convincing. A separate KYMA report described a local agent discovering that his own listing had been reposted at a lower price.

The Yuma reports were published in August. They describe a specific homeowner’s experience, not a current count of local complaints or losses.

The application can expose more than a deposit

A fake rental listing can be used to collect an application fee or deposit. It can also coax people into sharing Social Security numbers, driver’s-license images, pay stubs and other sensitive details. The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers copy real listings and may use application forms to steal personal information.

Before sending money or documents, verify the property through the real owner or management company using contact information you find independently. Search the address with the owner or company name and compare any duplicate listings. If possible, see the property and check the agent’s identity. A visit is useful, but the FTC cautions it is not a guarantee that the listing is legitimate.

A real landlord generally does not need your Social Security number or credit score before you have agreed to rent the property. Be especially wary of pressure to act quickly or requests to pay by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. Those payments are difficult to recover once sent.

A homeowner can be a target too

The homeowner in the AZFamily report was not named. The copied listing brought strangers to his property expecting to move in. If you own a vacant, seasonal or listed property, searching the address online can help you spot copied listings.

If a listing does not check out, report it to local law enforcement and the website where it appeared. The FTC also accepts reports at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you shared sensitive information, contact the companies involved and review the FTC’s identity-theft recovery guidance.