How to Avoid Rental Scams in Jefferson County

The scam is simple: a fraudster copies photos and details from a real listing, reposts it on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace at a too-good price, and collects "deposits" from as many people as possible before disappearing.

Affordable markets like De Soto and Festus are prime targets because a fake $850 house is believable here. This guide is how you make sure the person you're paying actually controls the home.

1. Rent noticeably below everything comparable. Scammers price 25–40% under market to create urgency.
2. You can't tour, or someone "mails you the keys." The owner is "overseas," "a missionary," "traveling for work." No legitimate landlord leases sight-unseen by mail.
3. Payment by wire, Zelle, Venmo, CashApp, gift cards, or crypto — especially before a lease exists. These payments are unrecoverable, which is exactly why scammers demand them.
4. "Three other people are interested, send the deposit today to hold it." Pressure and urgency are classic scam tactics.
5. The contact doesn't match the listing company. Gmail addresses, out-of-state numbers, or a "landlord" who won't say what company manages the home.
6. No pre-qualification at all. Real landlords require pre-qualification. "No credit check, no pre-qualification, just send the deposit" is a scam nearly every time.

• Cross-check the address on the management company's own website. Every real Ichiban home appears on ichirentals.com — if it's not there, it's not ours, whatever the ad claims.
• Look up the owner in the Jefferson County Assessor's property records — free and public. The name should connect to the landlord or their management company.
• Call the number on the company's Google Business Profile, not the number in the ad.
• Insist on an in-person tour with someone who has keys. Scammers can't produce keys.
• Never pay anything before a signed lease, and never by irreversible methods. Ichiban collects deposits and rent only through RentRedi, and asks for no payment at all before you've completed pre-qualification and screening on the official portal.

• Report to the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov)
• Report to the FBI's IC3 (ic3.gov)
• Report to the platform that hosted the ad
• File a local police report — helps others and is sometimes required for payment disputes
• Contact your bank immediately if you paid by card or transfer — speed matters