LEHIGH ACRES FGCU softball team helps Habitat for Humanity build three homes The Florida Gulf Coast University softball team helped Habitat for Humanity build three homes Saturday.
ESTERO Home Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans Veterans hit the green at the Copperleaf Golf Course on Saturday. This was part of the Home Base golf tournament.
FORT MYERS At least one person dead after propane truck collides with golf cart Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that has left one person dead and another injured Saturday morning.
Scattered storms ahead for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority is tracking weekend temperatures in the low to mid-90s this weekend with a chance for scattered storms this afternoon.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 3 Thunderstorms tried to put a stop to week three of high school football on Friday Night, but gridiron action prevailed.
Man accused of plotting murder-for-hire denied bond A man suspected of being involved with a murder-for-hire plot will stay behind bars. Ryan Toranzo had his renewed motion to set bond denied today in Collier County Court.
LABELLE Two dead after crash on State Road 80 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a crash on State Road 80 that has left at least one person dead Friday evening.
DeSoto County looks to recruit more teachers While it can sometimes be easy to fill a classroom with students, it is not so easy for teachers. Schools across the nation and locally in Southwest Florida are still dealing with the challenges of teacher shortages. With class back in session, so is teacher recruiting for DeSoto County schools. The assistant superintendent, Jake Reynolds, […]
IMMOKALEE ROAD Push for change after deadly crash on Immokalee Rd. We’re told the woman was driving with two kids in the car when a semi ran a red light and hit her Thursday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Mobi-Mats deployed on Fort Myers Beach A walkway to paradise! Brand new and blue, the Mobi-Mat is making things easier for Fort Myers Beachgoers.
NAPLES Women of Steel business conference inspiring and empowering women Focused, hardworking, empowered. These women have made a name for themselves as Women of Steel.
NAPLES Beloved Collier County bus driver retires after 20 years After 20 years of getting kids to school safely, a beloved Collier County bus driver is retiring.
Wade Wilson has new death row mugshot Convicted double-killer Wade Wilson has a new death row mugshot.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Sizzle Dining is back in SWFL It’s Sizzle Season! Local restaurants are ready to welcome new faces by offering exclusive menu deals to attract new customers.
LEHIGH ACRES FGCU softball team helps Habitat for Humanity build three homes The Florida Gulf Coast University softball team helped Habitat for Humanity build three homes Saturday.
ESTERO Home Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans Veterans hit the green at the Copperleaf Golf Course on Saturday. This was part of the Home Base golf tournament.
FORT MYERS At least one person dead after propane truck collides with golf cart Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that has left one person dead and another injured Saturday morning.
Scattered storms ahead for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority is tracking weekend temperatures in the low to mid-90s this weekend with a chance for scattered storms this afternoon.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 3 Thunderstorms tried to put a stop to week three of high school football on Friday Night, but gridiron action prevailed.
Man accused of plotting murder-for-hire denied bond A man suspected of being involved with a murder-for-hire plot will stay behind bars. Ryan Toranzo had his renewed motion to set bond denied today in Collier County Court.
LABELLE Two dead after crash on State Road 80 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a crash on State Road 80 that has left at least one person dead Friday evening.
DeSoto County looks to recruit more teachers While it can sometimes be easy to fill a classroom with students, it is not so easy for teachers. Schools across the nation and locally in Southwest Florida are still dealing with the challenges of teacher shortages. With class back in session, so is teacher recruiting for DeSoto County schools. The assistant superintendent, Jake Reynolds, […]
IMMOKALEE ROAD Push for change after deadly crash on Immokalee Rd. We’re told the woman was driving with two kids in the car when a semi ran a red light and hit her Thursday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Mobi-Mats deployed on Fort Myers Beach A walkway to paradise! Brand new and blue, the Mobi-Mat is making things easier for Fort Myers Beachgoers.
NAPLES Women of Steel business conference inspiring and empowering women Focused, hardworking, empowered. These women have made a name for themselves as Women of Steel.
NAPLES Beloved Collier County bus driver retires after 20 years After 20 years of getting kids to school safely, a beloved Collier County bus driver is retiring.
Wade Wilson has new death row mugshot Convicted double-killer Wade Wilson has a new death row mugshot.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Sizzle Dining is back in SWFL It’s Sizzle Season! Local restaurants are ready to welcome new faces by offering exclusive menu deals to attract new customers.
CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Florida leads the nation for fraud, and scammers are constantly finding new ways to steal money. That includes renting out homes they don’t own. Christina Crissinger wanted to sell her home. However, a scammer was trying to lure renters to her address instead of buyers. “Somebody came to the door and asked him [Crissinger’s son] when we would be moving,” Crissinger said. People without appointments to view her home starting knocking on her door, asking when she and her family were moving out. The last person who came told Crissinger she had been in contact with the owner and was about to rent the home with hopes of eventually buying it. “They [the visitors] proceeded to let us know that they were getting ready to send an application in and purchase our home for $80,000,” Crissinger said. This was a major red flag to Crissinger, because she listed her house on the market for $229,000. Crissinger’s realtor, Greg Pownall, didn’t send the potential buyers to the home. A scammer did. Pownall said he tried to address the problem after he heard what was happening. He started texting the scammers, posing as a potential renter. The scammers told him they were missionaries in Nevada who were looking for “God-fearing” people to rent their home. The scammers tried to make themselves look like legitimate landlords and asked questions like, “Do you have a pet?” and, “How many pounds is your pet?” Cpl. Phil Mullen with the Cape Coral Police Department said scammers are becoming more savvy, using every trick they can to fool others. “They’ll use the actual listing for a house for sale or a house for rent and try to make themselves appear as the responsible parties for that property,” Mullen said. “They’ll use the right pictures so their ad will look legit.” That’s exactly what happened with Pownall. The scammers emailed him the pictures he had posted for Crissinger’s home and even sent him what appeared to be a rental agreement. Unfortunately, some scammers go a step further. They will look up the real property owner’s name and pretend to be that person so it appears as if you are talking to the legitimate owner. “Just do your homework, talk to somebody, try to go through reputable rental agencies,” Mullen said “The biggest thing is never wire any of your money to somebody you haven’t spoken with, preferably in person, because it’s just the same as mailing cash, and it’s gone.” Crimes like this are very hard to track down, Mullen said. “A lot of times they’ll use what is called spoofing a phone number where the number they’re calling from isn’t really their phone number,” Mullen said. “A lot of times they’re not only out of state, they’re out of country. There’s jurisdictional problems where we’re not even going to be able to find them, much less prosecute them, when they’re halfway around the world.” Here are some tips to stay safe when looking to rent or buy a home: Try to use a realtor or rental agency Talk directly and in person to the person claiming to be the property owner. If communication is solely through text, that is a common red flag. Look up the real owner of the property using the property appraiser’s site Never wire money to anyone prior to meeting him or her in person Watch out for text messages or emails with bad grammar. That is usually a red flag that the scammer is from overseas. A rental scam can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission by clicking here.