LAFAYETTE, La. — As the need for affordable housing gets larger, that means there could be an increase in apartment rental scams.
For one resident in Lafayette, she's learned the hard way of these scams firsthand.
Brandi Leblanc has been a resident of Lafayette for 13 years and relies on Section 8 rental assistance to help her afford her rent.
Recently, she began searching for a new rental property here in the city and found what seemed like the perfect place on Facebook. Leblanc reached out to the individual advertising the property she was interested in who told her he accepted her Section 8 and once she sent an application fee via money transfer apps, he could meet her at the apartment for her to tour it.
However, after sending the payment to the supposed landlord, she never heard back. It was then that she realized she had been scammed—the person pretending to be the property owner was a fraud.
Leblanc's experience is not unique. According to the latest FBI data, 11,500 people nationwide reported being victims of online real estate or rental scams in 2021, which resulted in a collective loss of $350 million.
For Leblanc, losing $50 dollars for her fake application fee did hurt her wallet, but she is thankful that she found somewhere safe to stay in.
"I loved the area and was so hopeful," Leblanc says. "I was going to leave the apartment at the beginning of the month and I would’ve move into my apartment straight into there. Because of this happening, thank God I had my mom to fall back on so I can stay with her until I can find something, but not many people are as fortunate as that."
Here are some tips from State Farm to help you stay ahead of becoming another victim of rental scams and landlord frauds:
- Meet your landlord in person before sending or agreeing to any type of lease
- Ask to see the property in person to ensure pictures and location match
- Beware of wiring money to a stranger
- Do research about the potential landlord or rental company to make sure they are reputable
LeBlanc tells KATC she is not giving up hope on finding her dream apartment and thanks her faith for helping her push through.
