Copied and pasted from my thread on militia:
This is a relatively easy way to make potentially several thousand dollars in a short amount of time.
First, you need to find an abandoned house or property that you know no one lives in or checks up on regularly. After confirming this, you will need to break into said house. Using a lockpick set or contacting a locksmith is important. When I've used a locksmith, they have never confirmed that the house was actually mine or not, but I don't know if all of them are like that. So be careful.
Next, post an ad(s) on Craigslist for the property with an appropriately priced rent figure. Have a number (prepaid throwaway phone goes without saying) and an e-mail. When they call/e-mail either email them the application (you will need an actual one, they can be found online easily) or bring them one when you meet for the tour.
Couple of tips for the tour: dress business casual. You're a landlord, not a corporate executive or construction worker. Slacks, a button up shirt, and jacket without tie should do the trick. You'll want to rent a car or keep your car out of view of the property. Be very early and be waiting for them. People pay less attention to a car if you're outside of it waiting on them than if you drive up in it while they're waiting on you. Show them the property (which you may need to have cleaned up before this). Talk about whatever amenities or features or whatever you've come up with, but make it a good sale's pitch. Take their application. Rinse and repeat. You should go for as many people as possible. Inform them that you will require a security deposit, and the first and last month's rent. Let's say you're pitching the rent at $750. They'll need to pay you $2250. Then have them sign the BS contract (again, these can be found online). Meet at the house, pick up your money, and then give them a key, but tell them that you are finishing some repairs with the hot water/electricity/something important but easily fixed that will take just a couple more days, and then they can move in. Trash your phone and you're done.
Do this to five people and you'll make $11,250 for a couple of week's worth of work. Ideally, get as many as ten potential tenets or more. It will just get tricky balancing them all. But it can be done.
Comments
And really, you stand to make a ridiculous amount with this if you do five or six different properties with a few tenets for each. That multiplies very quickly.
It's not that hard to pull off. But be sure to cover your tracks. This level of scam goes under felonies.