{
 "@context": "https://schema.org",
 "@type": "FAQPage",
 "mainEntity": [
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "Why is below-market pricing the biggest red flag in rental scams?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "Because the price is the trap's engineering. Scammers copy real listings and cut the rent 30\u201350% specifically to generate urgency \u2014 a deal that good attracts dozens of inquiries, which the scammer then uses as pressure (\"I have 30 applicants, a deposit holds it\"). The discount also short-circuits skepticism: people protect their judgment less when they believe they've found something rare. If the rent seems impossibly good for the area, price nearby comparables first \u2014 the gap usually is the scam."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "How can I verify who actually owns a rental property?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "County property records \u2014 in most US counties, the assessor's or recorder's office publishes ownership online, searchable by address, for free. The name on record should match your landlord or connect to them verifiably (a property management company should be able to name the owner and appear in state business registries). A \"landlord\" whose name has no connection to the deed, or who gets defensive when asked, has answered your question."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "Is it ever normal to pay a deposit before seeing a rental in person?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "No \u2014 treat this as an absolute rule. Application fees, \"holding fees,\" and deposits demanded before an interior viewing are the mechanical core of rental fraud. A legitimate landlord's interest is in screening you, which requires meeting you; only a scammer benefits from money moving before anyone steps inside. For genuine long-distance moves, use a live video walkthrough with the landlord on camera, verify ownership through county records, and pay by a traceable, disputable method \u2014 never wire, Zelle, gift cards, or crypto."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "I found the same listing on two sites at different prices. Which is real?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "Almost always the more expensive one on the established platform \u2014 cloned listings copy photos and text from Zillow, Apartments.com, or Realtor.com and repost them cheaper on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace with new contact details. Contact the agent or owner listed on the original established-platform listing and ask directly; they're usually unaware their listing was cloned and will confirm the real price and the real process. A reverse image search on the listing photos exposes cloning in seconds."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "Is what I paste here stored anywhere?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "No. Per our Security Policy Framework \u00a73.1, nothing you submit is stored in our database. The listing is processed server-side, analyzed, and discarded immediately after your result is returned. We never retain, sell, or train on your submissions."
   }
  },
  {
   "@type": "Question",
   "name": "I already sent a rental deposit to a scammer. What now?",
   "acceptedAnswer": {
    "@type": "Answer",
    "text": "Report the payment immediately through its own channel \u2014 your bank's fraud line for wires and Zelle, the app's fraud process for Venmo/Cash App \u2014 because any recovery depends on speed. Then report the fraud at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov, and flag the listing on the platform where you found it so it's removed before the next renter. If you shared identity documents (common in fake \"applications\"), visit IdentityTheft.gov for a protection plan. None of this reflects on you: these listings are built by professionals to beat people in a hurry."
   }
  }
 ]
}