The Home Legal 2025 Reports & Reviews

The Home Legal Reports & Reviews (3)

• Feb 25, 2025

Type of a scam Rental

256 Cindy Lane Wheeling IL

I found an ad on Avail.com. It also popped up for me on Realtor.com.
My first reaction was definitely "too good to be true" but I tested the theory. From what I know about the area I was looking to rent a home in, and what places go for-- it was too low. I googled all images and realized it did not add up.
I noticed the pictures on more "accredited" sites were noticeably different. Those prices were exactly what was to be expected. I then went back, googled the address and reported it on all other sites, that had the same misleading information, including the number that contacted me.
I received a text from the number 207-249-2654 asking how soon I planned on moving in. That phone number is out of the state I lived in, so I knew it was not real. It also gave the name Pecora James, which seemed very odd to me. So I googled that name, which is what I usually do for all rental results. Usually it connects to a person who has a residency or social media. This number and name did not connect to anything but ScamPulse!

After reading the review, I decided to make my own, so people are more aware.

Useful

- Brookfield, IL, USA • Jan 28, 2025

Scammer's phone (207) 249-2654
Scammer's website thehomelegal.site
Scammer's address 1226 Beverly Dr, Round Lake, IL 60073, USA
Scammer's email [email protected]
Country United States
Victim Location IL 60513, USA
Type of a scam Credit Cards

From a listing posted on Rent.com, I applied for more information and a tour from the landlord listed. Afterward I received an application from AVAIL which required personal information to complete a renter screening, including my social security number, driver license, and a pay stub from my work. This information was submitted (at least the SSN was supposedly encrypted) to TransUnion for a background check. All of this was within my session on AVAIL. The next day, I see my AVAIL background check was completed by TransUnion. And then I received a new email from a new person claiming to be the landlord of the rental property for which I applied. This person had a different name than the AVAIL check requestor but the same number as the original posted listing on Rent.com. He supplied a link to the below site which he was soliciting more information from me, including most of the things I had already provided AVAIL but additionally asking for "how much money I would be willing to put as a down payment (the more months I prepay the better the deal for rent)." He also reached via text and asked me when I could move in and how many people would be residents. The scariest part was that he offered for me to visit anytime as a self-oriented walk through since he was out of state and would just give me the pass code. I'm not sure what would've happened if I had gone, but since both Rent.com has removed the listing and AVAIL accredited my credit card for the application fee.

Useful

• Feb 25, 2025

Same email and phone number was sent to me. The number was tied to Maine. The email stated they were a family from Florida. I didn't go any further responding to the email than that. Thank you very much for posting this!