Greensboro student loses more than $1,300 in rental scam
A Greensboro student paid more than $1,300 for a Facebook Marketplace rental, then found his belongings on the street and the locks changed two days later.
Zymeer Reyes-Siler moved into Unit 4 in Greensboro on June 10 after signing what he believed was a real lease for a Facebook Marketplace rental listing on Fifth Avenue.
The 20-year-old Greensboro college student paid just over $1,300 through Chime. He thought he was dealing with an older couple renting out a room. The location also seemed convenient because it was only a short walk from school and basic necessities.
Two days later, Reyes-Siler returned and found his belongings outside. He still had the key, but the keypad and lock situation had changed and a no-trespassing sign had been posted on the door. When he tried to get answers, the explanations did not match what was happening on the ground. Representatives from the legitimate property management company confirmed the person he had been dealing with was not connected to the property, and the phone number he had been using eventually stopped answering, then hung up.
On June 8, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and North Carolina Real Estate Commission Chair William Aceto issued a consumer alert warning that scammers are creating fake listings, impersonating landlords or property owners, and stealing money from people looking for a home or apartment. The North Carolina Department of Justice takes scam reports by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or filing a complaint online.
Nearly 65,000 rental scams have been reported to the Federal Trade Commission since 2020, with about $65 million in reported losses. In the agency's latest consumer-protection spotlight, about half of people who reported a rental scam in the 12 months ending June 2025 linked it to a fake ad on Facebook, and adults ages 18 to 29 were three times more likely than other adults to report losing money.
Renters should verify ownership through public records, visit a property before paying, and treat urgency or a refusal to meet in person as a major warning sign.
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