How Rental Scams Work 
There are a few patterns rental scams typically follow. Usually the perpetrator is outside of the U.S. and they use Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to post fake listings.
The goal is to manipulate desperate renters who can’t find housing in their price range. The scammers get renters to pay the application fee, then the security deposit and first/last month’s rent. We’ve even seen cases where renters have paid six months