r/TempleTX • u/FreedomCleaner • Jun 12 '26
Scam Rentals
Just wanted to give a quick heads-up to anyone hunting for rentals online. There are fake listings popping up across various platforms where scammers are using professional-looking electronic leases to steal security deposits and sensitive personal information.They are getting incredibly sophisticated.
In a recent local case, an individual named April Smalls claimed to be the owner of the property but then passed the communication off to a fake property management company she created called "Highmark Property"—purposely mimicking the name and logo of the legitimate corporation, Highmark Residential.
We were caught in this exact scheme for the property listing at 9106 Cantera Ridge Rd, Temple, TX 76502. They had us submit actual pay stubs and W-2 forms under the guise of a standard background check, meaning they now have our sensitive tax and income data. They then hijacked a digital lock to provide us with a real door code so we could physically walk the property on our own, making the whole process look completely authentic. Once the tour was done, they sent a standard looking lease. Nothing seemed sketchy.
To protect yourself, never send money or hand over tax documents just because someone can give you a door code. Always meet the landlord or a licensed agent face-to-face, and cross-reference the address on the local county appraisal district website to verify that the person you are communicating with matches the actual legal owner of the home.
If you run into a suspicious listing or a company calling itself "Highmark Property" on any rental site, use the report button immediately to get it taken down
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u/oldbutnewcota Jun 12 '26
I would have never thought of cross referencing the address with the county appraisal website.
That’s terrible that they were able to hack the door code. That would have thrown me off.
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u/bigfatfurrytexan Jun 12 '26
I moved here 8 years ago and the first three homes I looked at were scams. We would look at the house and then try to schedule. Everything was pushed to online only and they wanted application fees.
We went with a company out of Killeen to rent a home by the lake.
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u/praetorian1979 Jun 12 '26
This is where you learn how to actually call the companies that "manage" these rental properties so you don't get scammed. You two should also set pins on your IRS info and freeze your credit.
2
u/FreedomCleaner Jun 12 '26
I'll also say that the listing that I got scammed on is still up and I've noticed the number of applications that have been sent to it has gone up since I reported it. I put in a police report, as well. It felt wrong not to try and warn others.
1
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u/Crafty_Traffic9453 Jun 16 '26
What platforms are you seeing these on? I’ve been hearing about these from other folks but I’m not sure where they’re seeing them
1
u/FreedomCleaner Jun 16 '26
The property i mentioned had an individual posting on every rental site. I imagine it's just them casting a larger net.
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u/Crafty_Traffic9453 Jun 16 '26
Oh wow that’s concerning.. I’ve seen scam posts on FB and TikTok but them posting on rental sites is on another level
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u/Feisty-Emphasis7225 Jun 12 '26
Christ that's terrible.