A TikToker posted a viral clip warning people of rental scams in South Florida by sharing her alleged experiences. The area is currently facing a housing crisis, where renters are up against unprecedentedly high rental costs due to low inventory.
User @juju__on__dat__beat____ posted the clip on May 25 with the caption, “Be wise & be weary [sic] of the scammers in South Florida.” As of Friday, the clip has over 142,900 views.
@juju__on__dat__beat____ be wise & be weary of the scammers in South Florida #fyp #floridahousing #floridahousingcrisis #housingcrisis #florida #southflorida #viral #fy #scammers #scam ♬ original sound – juul
“So right now scams are running rampant in South Florida just because the housing crisis is so freaking bad,” the creator says in the video. She explains she and her boyfriend were looking for a one-bedroom-one-bath when she almost got scammed.
She says they found a place in their budget and the area they wanted to live in so they messaged the owner/property manager. He allegedly told them that they can’t see the place until next week because a tenant was still in there but he can send them the lease to look at and sign.
“So my boyfriend’s looking over it like, ‘Let me just check on the MLS,’” she says. She explains her boyfriend is a licensed real estate agent and he wanted to see if the owner matches up with the owner on the lease. MLS, or Multiple Listing Services, is an independent real estate database of property information.
She says her boyfriend checked and the person they were talking to was not the owner on the lease.
“So obviously red flag, scam, so that was like thrown out the window,” the creator says.
The next day, she says she found another place and messaged the owner to see it. She was apparently told she could visit that day as the owner/property manager was holding showings. The creator and her boyfriend reportedly pulled up to the neighborhood and liked what they saw.
“We get out of the car and there’s a guy there,” she continues. The creator says she figured it was probably a friend of the owner’s after he started chatting with them about the house. She says she thought nothing of it until he started walking with them into the house.
“Well, there’s one problem with this house,” the man allegedly told the couple once they were inside. “My cousin put a deposit on this house two days ago and the lady just completely blocked her and never talked to her ever again.”
“The scammer took almost $3000 from this poor woman,” the TikToker wrote in the text overlay.
The TikToker continues her story in a follow-up video where she says the man claimed the owner had stolen his cousin’s money.
@juju__on__dat__beat____ Reply to @sayyesstojess_ part 2 – South Florida Home SCAMS #floridahousing #fyp #florida #floridahousingcrisis #housingcrisis #beware #scammers #viral ♬ original sound – juul
“He’s like, ‘I’m going to call the cops,’ like basically asking us if we want to stay,” she says.
She says the guy’s cousin eventually walks in through the doors with red eyes she presumed were from sobbing. While they discuss the situation, the creator says the woman she was supposedly talking to locks the door from the inside.
“I’m like, ‘get me out of this house please because I do not want to be here, this is scary,’” she says. Eventually, the TikToker and her boyfriend leave.
“The whole situation was eerie and weird,” she says.
She added that most scams ask for money through CashApp, and to “never send anything through CashApp” since you can’t get your money back.
In the comments section, users said they went through similar experiences.
“Omg I went through this for MONTHS, get a realtor or only work with the leasing office,” one user suggested.
“There’s sooooo many I was scammed too,” another commented, later sharing they lost $400.
“It’s crazy all over FL. I’ve had ppl say oh just drive by. I’m like nope. as soon as I tell them I sell homeowners insurance they stop messaging me,” commented another TikToker.
More people have moved to South Florida in the past few years, driving up housing costs. In fact, it’s been called the “most overpriced market in the country.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @juju__on__dat__beat____ via TikTok comment.
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