ROCKLAND — Rockland Police have had multiple citizens fall victim to fraudulent local house/apartment/vacation rentals they have found online, including advertisements seen on Craigslist, Rockland PD said on its Facebook page this weekend. Through these frauds, local citizens have lost thousands of dollars, with the money often ending up overseas.

According to Rockland PD, the scammers go to great lengths to appear legitimate, including sending real photographs of the property and fraudulent lease/rental documents using the real property owners name and personal information. This information is often gathered from legitimate real estate listings or other public records and used by the scammer to make the transaction appear above board.

“Rockland Police suggest never sending payment electronically without first meeting the property owner in person and touring the property,” said the post. “Other ways to protect yourself from being scammed are by using known rental service like Airbnb, etc.”