People scammed out of rent in Des Plaines

Two people were scammed when they attempted to rent apartments in Des Plaines. The description of the scammer was similar in both transactions, according to police reports.

A man connected with the scammer through Craigslist last month and met him at a home on the 100 block of Dover Drive. They did a walk through and the victim gave the offender $1,200. He received the keys for the unit and was to move in on May 31. When he arrived to move in, the keys did not work. The man was described as a white male, 48-50 years old, heavy set with large eyes and a receding hairline.

A woman was tricked out of $3,200 last month when she connected with a man through Craigslist. They did a walk through on the 500 block of Radcliffe Avenue and she gave him the rental money. She changed her mind about renting the property and spoke with the scammer via text messages. She lost contact with him and did not get her money back. He was described as a white male, 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, black hair, fair complexion, driving a white sedan.