In many cities, renting a two-bedroom house for $2,750 a month is somewhat common — maybe even expensive. But in Steamboat Springs, one resident found the deal to be so good, it was worth taking a gamble.
“Here in Steamboat, when something pops up, you kinda have to jump on it,” said Noah Booth, who saw the ad on Craigslist an hour after it was posted.
The headline of the ad read, “Private Cabin in beautiful Downtown Steamboat! Best Location in Old Town!”
The pictures on the ad looked professional, showcasing hardwood floors, granite countertops and a beautiful view of Soda Creek. It even said the home was pet friendly, which Booth needed because he has a dog.
Booth has been living in Hayden and he often commuted to Steamboat for work. His girlfriend was offered a teaching job at the Steamboat Springs High School, which would have been right down the street from their new home, if the Craigslist ad wasn’t fake.
The headline and photos were all ripped off from a post on the website VRBO.com, a short-term rental site, but the scammer took liberty to tack on the name of a fictional realty company, “Noble Private Property.”
The actual owner of the property, Robbie Shine, has noticed his VRBO listing was being duplicated and posted on Craigslist for some time now.
He said the post would get flagged for removal and then taken down, only to pop back up 10 days later, as that was the minimum amount of time before it could be…
