(ABC 6 News) – Austin police are raising the alarm regarding rental scams in the area after investigating a handful of cases in the last few months.

Those most affected by rental scams are young people followed by seniors. Typically, victims are vulnerable people moving to a new area urgently in need of a new place to live.

“These rental scams have been around a long time,” said Austin PD Captain Todd Clennon. “Be leery of if it looks too good, it probably is.”

Typically, a scammer will tell you they can’t meet in person and send you a rental agreement over email.

“They’ve just sent some personal information, maybe a copy of their driver’s license, social security information, then will reply with okay the next step is send me money for the keys,” said Clennon.

Austin police have investigated about five or six of these cases so far 2024. However, across Minnesota, rental scams impact hundreds of people every year.

“Every time a family gets scammed… it definitely puts a damper on family budgets,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

The best way to avoid being scammed is to do some investigative work on your own regarding the property.

“It’s always good to do a little light work on your own,” said Clennon. “Drive by the property, you know, check the street address and the house number, make sure it actually does exist.”

Officials also emphasize you should never feel rushed into putting down a deposit to secure your spot.

“They might come up with something and tell you that you know I’ve got people lined up, so you either jump now, or you know they’re gonna try to rush you, they’re gonna put pressure on you,” said Clennon.

Most importantly, always visit the rental before transferring any money.

“What I really want to do is just, you know, make people reluctant to send money by wire when they haven’t seen the property, haven’t shaken the hand of anyone, haven’t looked anybody in the eye,” said Ellison.

If you fall victim to a rental scam, reach out to your local law enforcement and be sure to contact the Attorney General’s office.

You can find more information on how to protect yourself from scams and report them here.