Oregon residents get scammed via Craigslist

Credit checks for tenants are typically conducted as part of a final background screening once a prospective resident has filled out a rental application, according to the Salem-News. However, these reports aren't necessary to simply view a property. Two Salem, Oregon, residents recently fell victim to a scam that asked for background checks and credit reports prior to building viewings. According to Salem Police Department reports, two separate victims responded to Craigslist ads regarding rental properties - one for a house, another for a condominium. They later received emails which prompted them to submit to a credit check contained within a link in the message. The scammer requested sensitive information such as their Social Security numbers before the link became inactive. According to lieutenant Dave Okada, "(One) victim suspected this was a scam and attempted to contact the other parties directly, but was not able to do so." The Salem-News adds that the contact information for the rental property turned out to be nonexistent, and neither victim was able to obtain further information about the property or the ad poster.