Marcella Corona

mcorona@rgj.com

South Lake Tahoe police says investigators have been receiving reports of vacation home renters who have been scammed out of money on Craigslist.

The scammers have been posting pictures and lengthy descriptions of a real house on Craigslist. Unsuspecting vacationers then pay in advance, usually by check or Western Union, according to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

When the renters arrive to the home, they often find it occupied by the homeowners or other renters, police said.

Police said similar incidents are again being reported in the South Lake Tahoe area.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department offered three tips to help prevent rental scams:

Use a credit card: Never use bank wires, certified checks or Western Union. These methods could lead you to lose your money soon after you send it. Credit card companies check on the companies that charge your card.

Obtain full contact information and verify it: Obtain full contact information for the person you’re dealing with including the person’s name, address, phone number and email. Verify that information through a Google search. Any real business should be easy to verify and usually have a full website, contact information in the yellow pages or are easy to get a hold of.

Make sure they answer your calls: If you always have to leave messages, and they have to call you back, then avoid them. When they call, ask for a phone number and immediately call them back. If they don’t pick up the phone, then beware. You also can find phone numbers on Google and a contact person associated with that number. If not, that could mean the number is be new.

Anyone with information on rental scams should contact the South Lake Tahoe Police Department at 530-542-6100.

Marcella Corona covers breaking news for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Contact her at 775-788-6340, email her at mcorona@rgj.com or follow her on Twitter at @Marcella_Anahi or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Marcella.Anahi