CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A family in Clayton County is without a place to call home, again – after claiming they fell victim to a rental scam and they said they don't believe they're alone.
Nikki Sampson and her three young children had been homeless for two and a half years – when they finally moved into their new home on Friday. But then a knock on the door changed all that.
"It's heartbreaking, devastated... kids are asking, 'Why can't we go home, mommy? Why are we not at home?' This was not our home in the first place," she said.
Sampson found the property on Lamont Avenue in Conley, online, and they moved in on Friday.
"I get this house and I think all my pain is over," she said.
However, it turns out the people who showed her the house – didn't own it in the first place.
"He had the key to get in, yes," she said.
Sampson shared receipts and cash payment screenshots for the almost $3,000 she paid to the person, who she now believes was a scammer.
"Gave us the lease, gave us the key – two sets of keys," she recalled.
Sampson said she didn't realize she'd been scammed until the real property manager, Progress Residential, sent someone with a notice.
"Which gave us 24 hours to move out this property," she said.
When 11Alive arrived at the house to speak with Sampson, a representative from Progress Residential was there. The agency's job is to visit its vacant properties that are unlawfully occupied. The representative said this is happening all of the time now, and that they alone, visit at least 15 of these properties every week.
Progress Residential sent the following statement to 11Alive:
Rental scams are a big problem in Atlanta and across the country. Progress is actively working on multiple ways to address scam and fraud activity, including discussions with law enforcement partners in the Atlanta area to protect members of the community.
We have a dedicated team at Progress Residential focused on researching and investigating any reports of fraudulent activity or potential scams, and we work closely with impacted individuals to offer options and solutions to resolve these issues. While we don't comment on specific cases, we make every effort to support these victims of rental fraud by providing an opportunity to directly work with Progress staff to apply for and rent the home they want.
Their representative said that most of the unlawfully occupied properties they respond to are in Henry, DeKalb and Clayton Counties.
So, how can you avoid being scammed?
Atlanta Legal Aid shared these tips:
- Never rent sight unseen and that means the exact property you hope to rent, not a model unit.
- Make sure the lease lists your exact unit, full address, owner and manager of the property – something you may need to fact-check online.
- Don't give into pressure – renting should not feel rushed and hard sale tactics are a red flag.
- Never give cash, wire money, or send cash through a 3rd party app- like Zelle, Venmo or Cash App.
- If it feels too good to be true it probably is. Most properties will run a credit check – so if they don't – that could be a red flag.
Sampson filed a police report, so now she and her family are packing up the boxes they just unpacked – to vacate a property they have no legal right to be in. She said the hardest part will be telling her children.
"We have our own place, own roof over our head and stuff and now it's like back to square one, back homeless again," Sampson said.
She added in just the few days they have been in the house, more than 20 other renters have come to look at the property – asking for the man who she said scammed her. One renter even showed up while 11Alive was interviewing Sampson.
For now, two local nonprofits, Blessing Bags of Warmth and Giving Grace are helping Sampson and her family move into an extended stay. They are also accepting donations to help her family online here.