ORLANDO, Fla. — When Lazara Sanz posted her home "for sale by owner" on Zillow last week, she expected her property along a quiet cul-de-sac off Dean Road to generate interest.
But she did not expect people to arrive asking about renting the property over the weekend.
Both had seen her home listed for rent on a Spanish-language classifieds website, part of a scam the Orlando Regional Realtors Association is warning people about.
“They used the same exact pictures and information. I was like, wow, how can people do that?” said Sanz.
What angered Sanz even more was that among those fooled by the fake ad -- only found on a locally based Spanish-language website -- were two couples from Puerto Rico.
“They told me they pretty much lost everything in the storm, that they were starting over. They didn’t have furniture; they didn’t have anything,” she said.
Sanz said she called the Massachusetts number listed on the fake ad and she was told she would need to send $3,000 by cashier's check.
“And I said, well, can I see the house? And they said, no, you send the money and we’ll send you the key by mail,” she said.
She said when she told the person she was speaking with she owned the home, the person hung up.
While Sanz works to get the phony ad of her home pulled, she hopes to spare others from falling victim to the scam.
Cox Media Group
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