Stock photo and blog post by John HoffInformation is going around in real estate circles by email, and some of this information made its way to Johnny Northside Dot Com minutes ago from a dependable and reliable source. Reportedly, there is a former real estate agent known by the street name "T" who is breaking into vacant houses in North Minneapolis and fraudulently renting them out...
The mysterious Mr. T. reportedly cuts off the lock boxes on the exterior of houses that are for sale, gets into the lock box somewhere away from the house and removes the key. Now, possessing the key to the house, he disables the alarm system and quickly rents the house to some unsuspecting dupe who will be very much out of luck when the true owner learns of the circumstances and notifies police.
"T" reportedly drives a beat up red Monte Carlo. He lost his real estate license "a long time ago" but still possesses skills and insights into the real estate profession which allows him to pull off this scam.
It's no great stretch of the imagination to think this scam might work particularly well at the beginning of a three day weekend, and we have one of those coming up in February.
NoMi neighbors, don't assume just because you see somebody cheerfully moving into a house it's legitimate. Be a nosy neighbor and look out for the security of your area.
4 comments:
This looks like stealing but hey it's probably just from a rich bank much like the Hiltons so it must be ok right? Unfortunate for the new renters but if they could somehow be isolated all would be well. Better to have renters in vacant houses right?
Addendum by comment: same reliable source now recalls that T's name may be "Anthony something."
I received the following comment, from which I have removed the last name:
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Is that Anthony XXXXX? Scumbag owes me money for rent. I wouldn't put it past him to pull a scam like this. We used to cut the locks off just to bring the girlies to a place and say it was ours. Pease!
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To which I respond: there are a number of people with that name who have criminal records in Hennepin County. Which one do you mean? Do you have a birthday? A middle name?
I should have added: the poster's name was "Jesse B."
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