Searching for an affordable house in SoCal, she fell for a scam sweeping social media

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred Pam Yeager thought she had found her perfect next rental in a cute bungalow near downtown Fullerton.It seemed like a no-brainer: It was priced slightly below the region’s average for a two-bedroom home, would allow her to live closer to her son and was available right as her current lease was expiring.

But it turned out to be one big scam, costing her thousands of dollars to online fraudsters.“It’s ridiculous,” Yeager, 53, said.“There has to be some sort of accountability.”But experts say it’s a scenario that is becoming more common and difficult to police.

In California, an incredibly tight housing market and high rents are fueling a new generation of real estate scams that take advantage of people desperate to find an affordable place to live.Officials say the scammers place fake listings on social media and other online marketplaces, sometimes using artificial intelligence to make the content appear legitimate.

Often, they simply take existing listings and repost them, collecting as much money as they can before victims learn they were never in touch with a legitimate landlord.And as more people are turning to social media to find rentals and homes for sale, police say it’s created a ripe environment for scammers, given many platforms’ limited regulation and oversight.The fake ads often offer what appear to be unbeatable deals — capitalizing on people’s desperation.“Especially in this housing market, it gets competitive and people feel pressure to act quickly,” said Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt.

Lizbeth Gwisdalla, who said the department regularly investigates these types of online rental scams.“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.” Lifestyle They’re not licensed real estate agents, but property enthusiasts who tour apartments, share videos on social media and work one-on-one with clients to find ...