Are there scams involved in finding roomate online?

Answer 1

Luisa mentioned one extremely common scam that you'll find on any roommate site. I had a room for rent listed on roommates.com, and a couple times a week I'd get the standard scam pitch in my email.

They say they want to rent the room, but they are coming from overseas. For some reason, they have a cashier's check far in excess of what your deposit requirement would be. They want you to send them a check for the difference. And of course, their check is forged, and doesn't clear. Meanwhile, the check you sent them is cashed and you're out your money.

It's got nothing to do with roommates.com, you'll find that scam on any site. They did respond to each scam report I sent them on those emails, and they do monitor things as close as they can. But these guys are relentless and just keep trying until they find someone naive enough to comply.

Just be careful, never ever advance money to someone you don't know unless you have confirmed without a doubt that their check has cleared your bank completely, and trust your gut. If it sounds fishy, it probably is.

I didn't end up having luck on roommates.com, but I don't know why exactly, but it was relatively cheap and did get some interest, just nothing that panned out in the end. Craigslist is a good resource if you live in a city they cover, and they are free.

Online resources are plentiful, and many are quite good. Just be cautious, take things slow, and you'll be just fine.

Answer 2

I'm not sure if there are scams but if you go to a reputable website and e-mail back and forth to get to know the person you should be ok. I did this last October. I went to Roommates.com and put in what I was looking for. I wasn't in a hurry to grab the first person I met. A couple of people contacted me and I didn't like the living situation (I didn't want to share a bath). But I contacted this one guy and we e-mailed back and forth several times and it clicked. Unfortunately, at the last minute I ended up moving out of state for a job, but he said if I came back to give him a call. There are some nice people out there just don't rush into anything.

Answer 3

Yes. People will tell you they're coming from far away and offer to send you a payment first, in the form of a cashier's check and/or money orders. They'll send you more than necessary and ask that you wire them the difference.

Then the check/money order will bounce at your bank and you'll be responsible for the loss.

Answer 4

Sure.

First, there are services that claim to find you the "perfect" (pre-screened) roommate for a fee. Some are legit. Some are not.

Some people that claim to be looking for roommates are really looking for people for some other purpose. Perhaps to sell them something. Or pull a con.

Sometimes roommates steal from you.

Does this answer your question?

Answer 5

yes tons of them! be very careful onlne doing anything

Answer 6

well duh .....