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So this is a crazy story, I was aware of the growing problem of home squatting, but have never heard anything of someone turning it into "a business". The stor
by jacurtis 3y ago
So this is a crazy story, I was aware of the growing problem of home squatting, but have never heard anything of someone turning it into "a business".
The story never explains how they get the keys, which was the part I was the most confused about. But after looking into it more, what I think is happening is that they tell the person to choose any home on the Rently website. I have used Rently before, which has an awesome feature that lets you tour any home on your own schedule (without a real estate agent or homeowner). You basically just schedule an appointment through the app, then at your scheduled time you go to the home and you get a temporary code for a lockbox which has the key inside. You let yourself into the home and tour it, then put the key back when you are done.
I am assuming that after you "choose" the home on Rently, the people running this Instagram account put fake IDs and info into the Rently form, and then show up and get the keys from the lockbox. They probably cut the lockbox off after that (or maybe they don't care that much and just leave it on). Then they bring you the keys. Then you take the keys and squat in the house.
Which is funny, because there's no reason you need the middleman here. If you're going to be a criminal by squatting you might as well save the $1,400 and steal the keys yourself.
- fullspectrumdev 3y agoMost of those “lock boxes” for keys are shit and can be opened non destructively in under a minute flat. No need to commit any damage to them. Especially the electronic ones, a sharp slap will open a good number of those.
- kube-system 3y agoEconomically speaking, the middleman is filling an information gap. Street criminals are kind of dumb but there's a lot of slightly smarter street criminals who realize that they can exploit dumber criminals.
- gaws 3y ago> The story never explains how they get the keys For an "investigation," it's mind-blowing the reporter didn't think to include this detail.