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4082 Views 18 Replies Latest reply: May 23, 2013 10:45 AM by beth RSS
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Feb 20, 2012 12:35 PM

I found my rental on Craigslist being rented by someone else!

The ad had my text and pictures stolen from HomeAway.  The only reason I found it was an inquiry on the property through HomeAway asked why the ad on Craigslist was asking so much less of a nightly rate.  I searched the e-mail address listed in the Craigslist ad and found the person had done the same thing to 10 or so people here in my community; advertising their properties for half of the normal cost and asking for money orders and other methods of payment.  I contacted all the property owners after finding them on HomeAway.

 

So, today... I find it listed again on Craigslist.  This time with no pictures but ALL my text. I thought maybe someone is just copying and pasting because they're lazy and don't want to write their own text.  But It can't be any other place because of some of the unusual amentities and features of the place are all listed as well.  There is no way anyone else could be using this description to describe their own property.

 

This time the contact email address is traceable to a woman with an account on MySpace with dozens of face pics of her and her family.  I have her home address and phone number as well.  Based on what I'm seeing in the pictures I can't believe this family could afford a million dollar townhouse here in a prime neighborhood.  Oh... and I see other listing she's placed online looking for sex partners and saying she lives with her dad although I'm seeing a husband in the pictures.

 

I have not contacted anyone concerning the removal of her ad advertising my property.  Instead I've emailed her for pictures of the townhouse since she didn't post any in the ad.  I'd like to see if she will send me pictures of my own place.  I've asked availability and an address so I can google street view it... it will be interesting if she has my address.  If she does, I'm in trouble.  I can just picture people arriving from Europe with luggage looking for the keys and me having to tell them they've been scammed.  My lawyer brother says that I am not entirely immune from a lawsuit in that type of situation!

 

I'm waiting for the womans response.  I could just send her an email using her name, address and include a picture of her family and threaten her with legal action and shut this down right now.  Any advice on how to handle this?

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