Even as Schrenk alerted police, three victims came forward - two who had forked over deposits of $800 each and a third who had sent $1,000 to seal what each believed was a great deal. They had wired the money to bank accounts in Nigeria.
At least one was instructed that the keys would be available at Schrenk's Coldwell Banker At The Shore Realty.
Police said two other properties in the same neighborhood in this Shore resort just north of Atlantic City also were targeted in the scam. A similar ruse was reported in Long Beach Township.
As the annual search for the perfect beach house to rent for a week or two in the summer begins, authorities are alerting vacationers that the process has become a target of scams on Craigslist.
"Some of these scammers are so brazen they tell the victims to go to the real estate office where the property is legitimately listed to pick up the keys after they've paid their deposit," Schrenk said, noting her experience. "Sometimes the people don't even know they've been scammed until they get here. By then their money is long gone."
She says she took to routinely checking the Internet for suspect listings after noticing them two or three years ago on Craigslist and elsewhere.
Long Beach Township police last week issued a warning to renters there after receiving complaints from homeowners and Realtors that four properties were improperly offered on Craigslist. Wary potential renters also alerted police before wiring any money overseas, said Lt. Anthony Deely.
Thomas R. Calcagni, director of the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety's Division of Consumer Affairs, said that scams involving real estate transactions such as beach rentals were first reported in 2009. After that, he said, the incidents seemed to wane.
