PORTSMOUTH, R.I. -- A couple said it is working with the FBI after information they posted to Craigslist about a house for rent was hijacked for a second time.
Sue and Steve Johnson placed an ad with the online classified service to rent their three-bedroom ranch in Portsmouth. They were asking for $2,000 a month.
A man apparently saw their ad, and set up a scam.
He allegedly stole the information from the Johnson's ad, even some of their pictures, and posted it on a Cragislist as his own. He advertised the Johnson's house for $750 a month.
The scam artist listed his name as 'charlesburger' in his Craigslist ad.
Sue Johnson said the man told prospective renters that he and his wife built the Portsmouth house when they first got married. He said he was looking to rent it because he was doing business in West Africa. People looking to rent the house were told to wire by Western Union $750 for the rent plus $400 for a security deposit to an address in Lagos, Nigeria.
After notifying Craigslist, the ad was taken down.
On Thursday, Sue Johnson said she found out about a second ad after two college students stopped by inquiring about the house.
"They said they talked to someone long distance and they were told it was OK to come in," she said.
She said the person, listed in the ad as 'ronstevens', advertised the Johnsons' house for $800 a month.
Johnson said Craigslist has taken down the new phony ad.
Steve Johnson said he and his wife her husband are getting scared.
"What would happen if some guy needing a house really bad came up and was drinking a little bit and got violent?" he said.
The Johnsons said they never gave their home address when they first posted their ad to Craigslist.
Steven Johnson said the address came from one or two of their previous real estate agents when they had their house on the market.
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