Michigan College Students Are Being Warned About This Scam

Summer is winding down in Michigan and soon all of those fun days of getting outside and enjoy the nice weather, minus intense heat and that pesky Canadian wildfire air.

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Soon, college students from all around the state will be heading back to school.

If they're not staying in dorms, they most likely will need to find a place to rent.

As the days get closer and closer to the start of the school year, students that have waited to the last minute are frantically trying to find a place to live, which can make them an easier target for this scam.

Read More: 25 Things Michigan Is Known And Famous For

Michigan BBB Warns Of Rental Scam Targeting College Students

Scammers are preying on college kids desperation to find a last minute place to live.

Last year alone, more than 5 million people lost money to fake rental scams, according to the BBB.

Nakia Mills, with the Michigan BBB shared with Fox 17 how scammers are preying on Michigan students.

"You're looking online, you see this apartment, you reach out, you give a deposit, you get there, only to discover in some cases—the place doesn't even exist."

Rental Scam Red Flags

Most of the time when something seems too good to be true it probably is.

The BBB recommends being cautious of any listings where the property cannot be viewed in person as well as these other red flags to look out for:

• Listings that claim the owner is out of town and unable to meet
• Requests for deposits via gift cards, Western Union, or MoneyGram
• Properties marked "for sale" despite being advertised for rent
• Rental prices that are significantly below market rates

You can learn more and report suspected rental scams on the BBB's website