Lawrenceville police caution public about rental property scam

The Lawrenceville Police Department Criminal Investigation Division is reporting an increase in scams related to online rental properties.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, “scammers often advertise rentals that don’t exist or aren’t available to trick people into sending money before they find out the truth.”

Lawrenceville police say scams originate through Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist where the supposed “owner” of rental property requests payment through either CashApp or other electronic means. “Due to the transient nature of CashApp and the numbers or emails being used, locating the perpetrators is extremely difficult.”