Scam & Fraud Information

 We greatly appreciate the trust you give us in helping you with your rental needs. We have had many success stories of individuals using our service, but occasionally we hear reports of people attempting to defraud our users.

There are many known scams, and new ones are invented every day. Below is a list of common scams (or "pitches"), click the links for a detailed description plus some tips on how to avoid being caught in one! Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with this service by reading below:

The "Wire a Friend or Relative Proof of Ability to Pay" Scam

An overseas landlord has a very cheaply priced (or even free) property. In order to "prove" their ability to pay for a deposit or rental fees, a potential tenant is asked to wire transfer a large amount of funds to a friend or relative. The tenant is reassured there is no risk in doing this, since the landlord does not have access to the transferred funds. All they are requiring is a faxed or scanned copy of the wire transfer receipt to "prove" they have enough money to cover the rental payments. This leaves the potential renter with a false sense of security because they think the funds will surely be returned. The friends or relatives are not allowed to go and retrieve the funds until the prospective landlord verifies the transaction was valid, using the receipt the tenant provided them with.

The landlord takes the copy of the receipt to their nearest Western Union office, not to verify the transaction, but to actually remove the money! All they needed to pull this off is the sender's name and address; the recipient's name (the friend or relative) and address; the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) and the transfer amount. Knowledge of this information is considered sufficient proof by the wire transfer company and the money is handed over with a (false) signature taken for the receipt! Police are powerless to do anything because the victims FREELY told the scammer the information they needed to take their money!

Disclaimer:
The Off-Campus Housing 101 Listing Service is provided as a resource for Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences students, staff, faculty, and the surrounding community. The University has not inspected, approved, or disapproved of the facilities listed and therefore cannot be responsible for the listings.

Please familiarize yourself with the Fair Housing Act. Rental Listings CANNOT be restricted due to age, race, color, national origin, religion, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or families with children. In some cases, the Fair Housing Act exempts owner-occupied buildings. Please read Act for more details. Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences reserves the right to deny listing services as deemed necessary.

We here at Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences & Off-Campus Housing 101 value our customers. We greatly appreciate the trust you give us in helping you with your rental needs. We have had many success stories of individuals using our service, but occasionally we hear reports of people attempting to defraud our users. There are many known scams, and new ones are invented every day. By continuing, you acknowlege you have read & accept our disclaimer and terms & conditions.

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