SEATTLE – It looks like another scam is hitting Craigslist. This one is preying upon renters and realtors.

Marlow Harris has been in real estate for more than 20 years, but she has never seen anything quite like this.

KING

Realtor Marlow Harris says she has never seen anything quite like this.

Someone took the online listing she posted for a new townhouse in Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood and copied it to Craigslist as a rental.

The $365,000 home was suddenly on the renter's market for $1,200 per month.

"If people would spend half as much time pursuing something honest, just think how well they'd do in life," she said.

Marlow was tipped off by an e-mail from a prospective renter who almost fell for the scam.

"The person who placed the ad wanted him to send him $40 because he was out of the country, so he could send him the keys and he could go look at the place himself," she said.

The low-rent rip-off may not seem like a big deal until you realize just how easy it is, and the fact that Internet-based scams like this are usually run all across the county, with an endless supply of potential victims.

"I think that anyone who places an ad on Craigslist or has any of their homes online is going to run the same risk, because anyone can copy and paste and put anything on Craigslist," said Marlow.

The common thread through these scams is that the alleged homeowner is "out of state" and "needs someone to either rent or take care of the house immediately."

Bottom line: If a potential landlord refuses to meet with you in person or asks you to send money up-front, you may want to show him the door.