Rental scammers are targeting college students in the Atlanta area, creating fake listings that can be difficult to distinguish from real ones. These scammers copy legitimate apartment listings and repost them at a lower price on platforms like Facebook and Craigslist. The scammers' goal is to collect deposits or application fees from unsuspecting students.

Once the money is paid, it disappears and the apartment is never made available. The Federal Trade Commission has reported significant losses due to these scams. Further details on how to spot and avoid these fake listings are available from the Federal Trade Commission and local news sources.