{"id":7670,"date":"2026-08-11T07:17:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=7670"},"modified":"2026-08-11T07:17:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:17:17","slug":"playing-dirty-with-deeds-listing-scammers-swarm-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/playing-dirty-with-deeds-listing-scammers-swarm-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Playing Dirty With Deeds: Listing Scammers Swarm Social Media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Agents from coast to coast are sending out warnings about a scheme on TikTok. Bogus listings are attracting hopeful renters and buyers, then taking off with fees and deposits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The advertisements on TikTok, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, and other popular platforms show attractive prices\u2014but they\u2019re designed to pick the pockets of innocent people. At the same time, they\u2019re exploiting actual deed holders\u2014people who really own these homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the shady social accounts \u201cclone\u201d listings posted by agents, that\u2019s a theft of intellectual property. When they list homes for rent that actually aren\u2019t, that\u2019s emotional distress for the deed holders and for the struggling people looking for affordable homes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Noxious Activity on the Rise in Brutal Housing Economy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scams are on the rise\u2026 why? Of course, technology is part of the reason. Apps and tools make it easy to lift other people\u2019s marketing work and create bogus listings. Artificial intelligence helps bad actors toy with accounts and steal people\u2019s personal information. Exploitation can happen remotely\u2014even from beyond U.S. borders. When their social media accounts are shut down, scammers can quickly open new names and accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s an underlying factor that makes this game so very lucrative. It\u2019s the economy. There\u2019s a desire in the U.S. population, particularly in the very-much-online younger generations, to find homes within financial reach. Most buyers are pointedly looking for affordable homes near them, whether for rent or for sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this is how scammers draw people in. They\u2019re touting affordability in a housing market where prices have gone through the roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another factor behind this frightening social media trend is the tendency of scammers who once populated Craigslist to look for new waters to swim in. Social media platforms offer new places to find people who haven\u2019t yet caught on to the scams. They\u2019re already notorious on Craigslist.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agents Hear From Flabbergasted Homeowners; Police Open Investigations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scammers are grabbing photos and descriptions of real homes for sale. Home sellers are telling agents that they\u2019re finding copies of their listings on social media platforms. Often, the listed homes are repackaged as rental offerings at almost unbelievably low prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others appear to be homes available for purchase. And they are\u2014but they\u2019re someone else\u2019s homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The true sellers tell their agents they\u2019re feeling violated. True owners worry that hopeful renters will turn up at the home, confused or angry that the homes are not really available to rent. Owners wonder: will strangers attempt to get into their homes, after paying application fees to unknown manipulators?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One investor-owner, a licensed agent in New Jersey, saw his property advertised to renters through multiple accounts\u2014at half the market price. He pretended to be an applicant. He said the advertiser would not arrange an in-person property showing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The owner asked for the advertiser\u2019s real estate credentials. The advertiser sent over a copy of a photo card from the New Jersey Real Estate Commission. The owner of the property knew a scam was afoot because it\u2019s the Banking and Insurance division that licenses agents in New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, deed holders in San Francisco\u2019s East Bay neighborhood are sounding off about bogus rental listings for their homes. The advertisements are turning up on TikTok. Local law enforcement agents are on the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem first cropped up when a stranger came up to a home, following up on a rental ad. John Shaddle, whose home was caught up in the scam, told the press that the advertisements looked AI-generated. Shaddle texted the advertiser, who sent a text in reply, asking if Shaddle wanted to rent his own house! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay Safe: The Big List of \u201cDon\u2019t Get Scammed\u201d Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Images, addresses, and property details can all be ripped off from legitimate listings by scam artists. And these days, deed holders\u2019 information is not hard to find through online searches. Across the country, officials are sending alerts to the public about how not to be sucked in. At Deeds.com<\/em>, we read every piece of advice we see from law enforcement agencies. We\u2019ve condensed the warnings we often see into a list of spot-on suggestions. Here they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n