Unfortunately this is a well-known scam that has been in place for more than a decade.

ShowMojo has invested thousands of hours in security-based programming to thwart scamming activity within ShowMojo and anywhere else associated with rental listings.

Basically a listing found on Schedule-a-Showing.com (ShowMojo’s listing site) is completely safe as long as scheduling occurs through ShowMojo. ShowMojo has very strong, rigorous and regularly-updated controls to keep scammers from creating fraudulent accounts and using them to scam renters.

Well-known sites like Zillow, HotPads, Trulia, Homes.com, Apartments.com, Realtor.com and the like are usually very safe.

What’s completely not safe is searching for rental homes on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Both of those sites are packed full of scammers. The business models inherent in those site make it essentially impossible to stop scammer activity. If you have been a victim from activity on one of these sites, it is 99.9 percent likely the listing was completely falsified only on that site. Craigslist or Facebook is 100 percent responsible for enabling the fraudulent activity. Please take the issue directly to them.

With Facebook, you must log into your account to File a Fraud Complaint. With Craigslist, try calling 415.399.5200.

For all the above — even Schedule-a-Showing.com —you should still practice due diligence. Don’t wire security deposit or rent money. Take steps to insure you are dealing with a party authorized to rent the property. Basically, rent smart and safe.