How fraudulent Yelp reviews help Chicago renters

We’ve written previously about apparently fraudulent Yelp reviews for Live Here Chicago, a local rental service / apartment locator / apartment finder. Company agents and former agents have reportedly been encouraged to create positive reviews for themselves at Yelp.

Read the recent reviews pictured above from a single Yelper. It’s obvious that both can’t be true. I’d question the mental capacity of anyone who believes that either review is true.

You should research a rental agent before responding to an ad. If you see what appear to be suspiciously positive reviews of the agent or the agent’s company, don’t respond to the ad. Add the company name to a list and don’t respond to any ad from a company on your list.

Review fraud is so common that you might be inclined to make light of it and consider it harmless. Don’t. The practice is illegal and you put your financial health at risk when you contact a company that engages in or tolerates it. An agent or a company that lies to you on Yelp will lie to you in person.

In brief, suspicious reviews make it easy for you to know which companies and agents to avoid.

The safest way to rent an apartment in Chicago is to deal directly with landlords and management companies.

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