In Louisiana, scammers got lockbox codes for vacant homes, then told a renter to break in

A Southwest Louisiana rental scam escalated after a lockbox code quit working and a prospective renter was told to break into a vacant house.

Here's what to know

According to Realtor Pamela Bell and Century 21 Bono agent Dakota Manning, scammers are getting access to lockbox codes meant for verified real estate agents. They then use those codes to take deposits from people who think they have found a legitimate rental.

According to KPLC, Bell said one man believed he had secured one of her listings and had already paid a deposit. When the code failed, Bell said, "He called the person, said, 'Hey, I can't...this lockbox isn't working.' So he was told to break the lockbox, that which he did."

By following those instructions, he damaged the property and lost a deposit he paid thinking he was moving in.

Manning said he has seen similar situations with listings under his care. "Somehow this scammer was able to access that code, and he was able to give that to this person who thought they were renting a home." 

More background

Both agents think the issue could be connected to ShowingTime, which real estate professionals use to schedule showings and keep lockbox codes for active listings.

However, in a statement to 7 News, a ShowingTime spokesperson said, "We have no evidence of a breach of ShowingTime and have received no reports of security issues. Rental scams targeting vacant listings are a serious problem for agents, sellers, and renters alike, and we work to inform consumers about how to avoid bad actors in the housing market. Our How to Recognize and Avoid Rental Fraud and Beware of Scams and Other Internet Fraud pages explain how to spot red flags, such as prices that seem too good to be true or requests for personal information or wired money before you've met the property manager or landlord."

What can be done?

The Southwest Louisiana Association of Realtors is placing flyers on vacant homes that are for sale, telling people those properties are not rentals and warning them not to send deposits to strangers they have met only online, according to KPLC.

The company's statement also highlighted warning signs, including requests to wire money before meeting a property manager or landlord in person. 

"Call the office and say, I'm here to rent this house. I have not met this agent in person. I just want to verify that this house is for rent and this is the price. It's a five second phone call that could potentially save you from these troubles," Manning said.

Bell stated, "It is very frustrating to be able to deal with something like this because people are really looking for a place to rent and to be and they're now out of their money."

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