WACO, Texas — A Waco Realtor is warning Central Texans to take a closer look at online real estate listings after discovering scammers were using information and photos from her properties to advertise homes that were not actually available through them.
Mandy Chiota, a Realtor with EG Realty, said she has dealt with two separate scams involving properties connected to her.
“I've actually been subject to two different scams,” Chiota said. “One was my personal rental property, and one was another house that I had listed for sale.”
Chiota said people who recognized her properties on Facebook Marketplace reached out and alerted her to the suspicious listings. According to Chiota, scammers had taken photographs and property information from legitimate listings and used them to advertise the homes as if they were their own.
Finding her own rental property advertised online immediately raised concerns about what prospective renters could encounter.
“So, obviously it's worrisome,” Chiota said. “I'm worried, are people going to be showing up at my rental property? Are they going to take a deposit and then think it's theirs and then try to get in somehow? So just a lot of worry.”
How the scam can work
Chiota said scammers may try to make an attractive price seem legitimate by claiming the owner wants the property rented quickly. They can then pressure prospective renters into sending a deposit to hold the property.
“Well, you know, this is very affordable. The owner wants to get it rented quickly. That's why it's cheap. But if you send me a deposit, I'll hold it for you,” Chiota said. “So, you know, these innocent people, they need a place to stay and they need something affordable, so they're sending their deposits and then never hearing from them again.”
Chiota recommends working with a real estate professional or property management company when looking for a home.
“Because there are so many scammers nowadays, we definitely recommend either hiring a realtor or hiring a property management company,” Chiota said. “They are going to do all the work. They are going to make sure that it's not a scammer.”
What Waco police say to watch for
Cierra Shipley, a public information officer with the Waco Police Department, said an unusually attractive offer can be an immediate warning sign.
“So really the first thing is, if it's too good to be true, it probably is,” Shipley said.
For people who believe they have already sent money to a scammer, police advise reporting it as soon as possible.
“So the biggest thing that we say if you are scammed is to report it immediately. Don't wait,” Shipley said. “The quicker you report it, the quicker we can get into the investigation and look into the seller, see if they're local, see if they're elsewhere, and figure out if we can help you.”
Waco police also have a designated safe exchange area in the parking lot of the department's headquarters on Pine Avenue for in-person Facebook Marketplace exchanges. According to police, the area is under 24/7 video surveillance.
This story was originally reported on air by Alexa Conroy and was adapted into a digital article with the assistance of AI.
