ANN ARBOR – Police are urging community members and students to use caution when looking for housing after a young man was scammed out of $500.
Officials said the man was contacted through Facebook Messenger by a person claiming to be subleasing their apartment. He then got an email requesting a downpayment on the apartment by someone posing as an apartment leasing office employee.
Recommended Videos
“We want to remind students and community members this is the time of year for subleasing scams. We know with summer approaching that students are attempting to sublease their apartments and often list their advertisement on social media sites,” Ann Arbor Police Department wrote on social media.
Those looking for housing in Ann Arbor should never send money to those offering subleases until having seen potential housing in person and having met the person offering.
“The best way to spot a scam is when someone you’ve never met asks you to wire money to pay a security deposit, application fee, or first month’s rent,” police wrote.
Community members and students looking to either sublease their housing or sign a sublease can avoid similar scams by following this advice from the University of Michigan Student Life.