YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE ANY MONEY WITHOUT SEEING THE APARTMENT IN PERSON! IF IT IS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT ALWAYS, ALWAYS IS!
Is there any tradition older than people trying to scam other people who are looking for a place to live? Probably not. For as long as there has been rent to pay and leases to sign, schemers have been dreaming up ways to access the financial assets of vulnerable apartment-seekers. It’s a tradition that rages on today, with scams suckering in hundreds of New Yorkers and wanna-be New Yorkers and syphoning up thousands of dollars in well-intentioned payments.
Don’t be among the unfortunate slate of victims. Staying informed and vigilant about the latest rental scams is your best chance of avoiding an unfortunate mistake.
Super Low Rentals Scam (SuperLowRentals.com)
This website has been complained about many times with the Better Business Bureau so now they have started a new website called SuperLowRentals.com. Please read below before you ever considering giving money to a company before you have seen the apartment.
The Affordable Equity Project Scam (EquityProject.net)
The Affordable Equity Project listed several very below market priced apartments on their website and then instructs users to send $40.00 for a processing fee and that credit scores and income do not matter.
The Affordable Equity Project Website:
The website stated, “The Affordable Equity Project is a company that was founded with one goal in mind, to connect affordable housing with the responsible people who need it most. We believe every person on earth who needs and wants housing should be able to get it at an affordable rental price. Affordable Housing should not be a privilege, it should be a right.”
With over 30 negative, detailed reviews, negative standing with the Better Business Bureau and their lack of response to my own requests, Affordable Equity Project had all the tell-tale signs a well run scam. For the sake of argument, even if an apartment exists for $1000.00 in Union Square, companies should NEVER accept an application unless the apartment is genuinely vacant.
Reading through the reviews there were at least five applicants for one apartment. This should never be the case unless each one of them was contacted with reasons for being rejected and then they can accept the next applicants $40.00 for processing. A company cannot collect 5 or my guess about 50 applicants and $40.00 per application – process all of them and then “pick” the best applicant. Regardless, not one of these people allegedly even saw the apartment, they did blindly send the money in the desperate hopes of being the first to get it. Please read below for further information.
FROM ANONYMOUS: (a personal story in using the Affordable Equity Project service)
“I was really desperate to find something without paying a broker’s fee, and when I saw their very professional looking website (www.equityproject.net), it gave me hope. I did not immediately send in money, as they only have listings available every few months. But they offer to send you an email once new properties become available, so I signed up.”
When an email came in my box one day, and it happened to be in a neighborhood I was looking to live in, I jumped on it without much thought. I did call the office to ask a few questions, but the woman was reassuring and she said that they showed people the apt. based on who got the application in first. So I ran to the bank and got a money order, and sent it in that day. But then, after the first buzz of possibility wore off, I started questioning it further and started researching them online.
Here’s what I found:
- They claim on their website that they are listed “in good standing” with the Better Business Bureau. This is misleading, as it makes it sound like the BBB is holding them to some standard. They are not members, nor are they accredited. Anyone can be listed, but there is no such thing as being listed in good standing. In fact, according to the BBB, out of 24 known complaints, only 2 complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the consumer, and 6 were partially resolved. That is hardly a track record to brag about, or interpretable as in “good standing”.
- I googled the company again, looking more closely this time, and this time I noticed that all of the “articles” about the company were put forth by the same person, Ron or Ray Subs, and always the same spiel, and on websites where there were no comments allowed.
- I looked again at their website, and noticed that the FAQ’s all sounded kind of false and similar in tone. I also remarked that in the year I have been going to their website, they NEVER have any office space or condo listings, and that it seemed very strange in their FAQs, they say that there is no limit to how much someone makes to qualify for one of their low price apartments. It seemed to go against their mission to provide affordable housing to people who were struggling to find it, esp. since they only offer a few apartments every few months.
VIEW COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF HERE: