SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

Essie Holiday said an individual who identified himself as Maxwell Johnson allegedly rented her a home without informing her it actually belonged to two brothers from Canton who had left the residence vacant while attempting to sell it, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Saturday.

Cleveland Tenants Organization Executive Director Mike Peipsny said such rental scams have been increasing in frequency as the number of foreclosures nationwide has increased, creating vacant properties in most cities.

"A guy could break into an empty house, spend $10 to change the lock on the front door and end up taking $1,000 from someone", the non-profit organization official said. "Then the guy disappears."

Jim Kight, past president of the Rental Housing Association of Greater Portland in Oregon, said the increased demand for rentals in his city has led to similar scams.

"This rental market isn't hot; it's beyond that. It's steaming", he told The (Portland) Oregonian. "The sad part is that this kind of market opens it up for these kinds of scams."

 BREAKING STORIES

Cairo rockslide death toll reaches 30

Fumes kill 3 at mushroom farm

Ford to lay off 600 Chicago workers

Bush again slams Congress on energy

NYT, Trib to dump stand-alone sections

Alfalfa sprouts recalled for Salmonella

Toyota halves RAV4 plant production

Grain prices off sharply in Chicago Friday

Crude oil prices gain slightly Friday

Deals on shipping have consumer appeal

British homes hit double-digit declines

Canadians snap up U.S. homes

Circo socks sold at Target recalled

Lehman Brothers considering radical split

Lawyer: Rangel didn't report rental income

MSHA calls for criminal probe of mine

Oil's Plunging in Price, so Why Isn't Gasoline?

Grain trading mixed in Chicago Thursday

Crude oil supplies drop in week

Slain Phoenix broker's car found