News

Actions

Man finds home he owns for sale on Craigslist

Posted at 5:29 PM, Mar 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-31 08:21:11-04

How do you know if what you’re buying online is legit?

We talked with one man who uses Craigslist often. But his latest find was something he already owned. 

He's a homeowner who was doing some house hunting for properties to buy, fix-up and either sell or rent. During his online search, he says he found his house online for sale.

Greg Weinzapfel bought the home on the 14000 block of Brady in Redford back in July.

So, imagine his surprise when he saw it up for sale on Craigslist this week.

The listing was posted March 23 with pictures and the caption “Mother’s House Needs to Go…” It goes on to say “I am selling my mother’s house which was willed to me after her passing.”

The house is listed for $15,000, cash-sale only.

Greg showed us his paperwork proving he owns the property and is warning anyone who comes across the listing, it's a scam.

Experts say if you’re house-hunting online, watch out for the red flags. In this case: The lister wanted cash only, did not want to work with a realtor, and the price seemed to be too good to be true.

Greg says he will be putting in alarms in his house, just in case the person who listed his home tries to show it to anyone. He’s also filing a complaint with police.

We talked with the Redford Police Department, they say they will have one of their fraud investigators on this case.

If you see a suspicious listing, you can contact Craigslist by calling 800-664-0633 or by emailing legal@craigslist.com.