The door was opened on an apartment scam in our area, and the following is a press release from Sheriff Hakes regarding the situation and warning to beware of suspicious activity and requests.
Today, I received a complaint from a resident of Chippewa County who observed an apartment for rent on social media. The individual did some due diligence and was skeptical of the situation. They called and spoke with me regarding the matter. I, investigated the matter and it was determined that the person offering the reduced rate on the apartment, did not legally own the building. The suspect requested money be sent to an out of state account. The reporting party in this particular matter was keen enough to not send money before speaking with me about it.
I spoke with the property owner who advised it was currently empty as they recently acquired the property. I would suspect that the scam artist are obtaining rental transfer of title information and using those properties in their social media scams.
This comes at a time when other areas of our State are having similar incidents. The Register of Deeds Melanie McManus and I spoke earlier in the week about disseminating information regarding property fraud alert notices to property owners.
Fraud in general is real, it happens daily here in Chippewa County. Property fraud is less frequent, but can happen. If you or someone you know discover a home sale or rental that seems odd, you can call the Register of Deeds to identify the legal owner.
Anyone attempting to commit fraud on our citizens in Chippewa County, can have FREE lodging at 50 E Spruce St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729. You will not have to send money to my account, but they may want someone to put money on their account for bail.
Stay vigilant, see something, say something;
Sheriff Travis Hakes
