Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUly 18, 2025 BBB Scam Alert: Rental cons cash in on stressed out movers I f you are considering a move and need to rent, watch out for a new twist on fake rental ads. According to multiple Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker reports, scammers use fake tenant credit checks to trick potential renters into compromising sensitive personal information. How the scam works: You find a good deal on an apartment while browsing rental listings online. When you call the number to inquire, the owner asks you to complete a credit check before you can see the place. If you agree, they’ll send you a link to a website where you can get the credit check done. The website might look professional, but it’s all part of a scam. After you enter your sensitive information and pay for the credit check, the “landlord” will disappear. Your credit card information could be compromised, and GARDENS | FROM PAGE 14 ately applied to members of a different genus in the you could even be at risk for identity theft. One consumer in California reported paying for the credit check as part of the application, then tried to cancel after they “put all of our personal information on there… there is no phone number on a form to request for someone to contact you and no one ever does.” They lost $100, had to cancel their card and are now worried about identity theft. Another consumer in Connecticut reported that they filled out the application and paid, but “No credit check was made until after 35 days after I called[,] email[ed] and texted numerous times regarding my refund for service not provided… lesson learned I will always look at reviews as if I did, I would not have lost my $100…” — again, leave the name out since we never know if the scammer is spoofing a name. same family. Both genera are members of the legume family (Fabaceae), which you might not guess by looking ~ School Bus Drivers Wanted ~ 7D Licensed School Bus Drivers Malden Trans is looking for reliable drivers for the new school year. We provide ongoing training and support for licensing requirements. Applicant preferably lives local (Malden, Everett, Revere). Part-time positions available and based on AM & PM school hours....15-30 hours per week. Good driver history from Registry a MUST! If interested, please call David @ 781-322-9401. CDL SCHOOL BUS DRIVER WANTED Compensation: $28/hour School bus transportation company seeking active CDL drivers who live LOCALLY (Malden, Everett, Chelsea and immediate surrounding communities). - Applicant MUST have BOTH S and P endorsements as well as Massachusetts school bus certificate. Good driver history from Registry a MUST! - Part-time hours, BUT GUARANTEED 20-35 HOURS PER WEEK depending on experience. Contact David @ 781-322-9401. Another consumer reported the following experience: “I gave my name, address, and social security number to obtain my credit score from this website. I was asked to take a screenshot of my score and send it to the same address that emailed me the link. Afterward, I was sent an email with a showing time, but the house number was not listed on this email or on the listing on Craigslist.” Afterward, the consumer was unable to reach anyone about the apartment. Their calls and emails went unanswered. How to avoid credit check rental scams · Be wary of lower-than-usual prices. If the rent for an apartment is well below the going market rate, consider it a red flag. Scammers love to draw people in with claims that sound too good to be true. · Do some research. Search at the flowers, but it certainly seems obvious when you see the pods, which contain the seeds, later in the season. Most of the silk trees thriving in Saugus are a hardy variety that was named after a famous plant collector from Boston’s Arnold Arboretum, Ernest Wilson, who brought seeds back from Korea in 1918. A tree grown from these seeds survived colder winters than others the arboretum staff had tried to grow here, and 50 years later the arboretum named this cultivar for Ernest Wilson. The flower color is deeper pink than most varieties of silk trees that are grown in warmer climates. One characteristic that is interesting about this tree is that the foliage folds or “wilts” as night falls and reopens during the day. This characteristic is similar to some species of the plants scientifically called mimosa, such as sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica), although the silk tree will not retract at your touch the way the listing online, as well as the associated phone number and email address. If you find another listing for the same property in a different city, you’ve spotted a scam. Reverse image searches can be helpful, too, as can searching the alleged landlord’s name along with the word “scam.” These searches only take a few minutes and are well worth the effort. Also, search BBB Scam Tracker (www.bbb.org/scamtracker) for any recent reports. · Always see the property in person. Many rental scams involve listings for properties that don’t exist. Something is fishy if the renter refuses to let you know where the apartment is before you complete a credit check or pay them a deposit. Be wary, too, if you are given the address of a home with a “for sale” sign in the yard. You might not be in contact with the actual owners. the sensitive plant foliage does. In both cases, the folding of the foliage probably protects the plant from drying out by decreasing surface area when it is windy or just when photosynthesis is not possible, such as when the sun is not shining. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners · Verify the property owner’s information. Contact a licensed real estate agent to see who owns a property or check the county property appraiser’s website. Ask the landlord for a copy of their ID to verify they are who they claim to be before you offer up sensitive personal information like your social security number for a credit check. If the landlord refuses or gets upset, you could be dealing with a scammer. Check BBB.org for trusted property owners. · Be cautious about credit check websites. If you need a credit check, always use reputable sources, such as those recommended by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Also, check to see if the website is secure. Learn how to identify a fake website. For more information, read https://www.bbb.org/all/ moving. with landscape design, plant selection and placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is a member of the Saugus Garden Club and offered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town” shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired after seeing so many people taking up walking. This close-up of an ‘Invincibelle Spirit II’ hydrangea flower cluster shows details of the four-petalled flowers. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener)
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