Rental scam circulating in Fountain during housing crisis

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) -- As renting remains more affordable than buying a home right now, a scammer in the Fountain area is taking advantage of people looking to find a place to live.

Fountain Police are warning residents that someone is posing as a property owner/realtor and attempting to scam people out of money.

According to Police, the scammer utilizes social media sites like Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace to advertise available rental properties. He then requests payments for the rental agreement, a non-refundable deposit, and rent paid through a Zelle account with an associated email of tjbarker2012@gmail.com.

These properties are not actually available for rent.

One of the victims of the scam originally communicated with a female claiming to be Savannah Lynne Nienaber.

The identity the suspect has been recently using is Alexander Pawlicki.

Police say he even provides a photocopy, via text, of an Illinois driver’s license for an Alexander Pawlicki.

This scam couldn’t come at a more desperate time for renters.

Realtor.com’s latest data from June shows renting a home is still more affordable than buying one, despite rent also hitting a record high nationally at around $1,876.

But that pricey rent is still 30 percent lower than the typical monthly cost for new homeownership.

Fountain Police say to always double-check the rental property you are looking at and the associated rental property company before providing any money through social media or other apps.

If you believe you were a victim of this scam, contact the Fountain Police dispatch center at (719) 390-5555 to speak with an officer or deputy.