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The Kansas Association of REALTORS® has received reports from several members regarding their listings appearing on websites without the listing brokerage's permission or contact information. KAR also had reports about a listing appearing as a rental on Craigslist, when in fact, it is for sale.
If you find your listings on Craigslist and you did not authorize putting it there, or it has been altered in any way (like making it a rental with contact information for someone else completely) you should first, print off a copy of what appears on the offending website so that you have a record in the event you want to take any legal action.
Second, report it as fraud to the website. In the case of Craigslist, they give you a link to "flag" a listing. They have been very quick to respond to a fraud report and in the case reported to our office, had pulled the listing down within 24 hours. If there is no specific contact person on the website and just a generic email to tech support, send them an email reporting it and keep a record of it for your files.
Third, report it to your local law enforcement agency and the FTC. The FTC toll free hotline is 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357) or use their website. You can also file a complaint at the Internet Fraud Complaint Center-a partnership of government agencies who deal with these issues, including the FBI.
Contact us at the KAR office if you need additional assistance and we will try to help you evaluate your options for getting the situation resolved. Each case has been a little different than the others, but we will help any way we can.
