Man Unknowingly Agrees to Rent Bank-Owned Home on Craigslist

A Cleveland man looking to rent a home in Solon found a deal too good to pass up on Craigslist in late August. After he paid the man renting it out at least $1,700, he learned the home belonged to the bank, and not the man from whom he was renting, according to

The 51-year-old Cleveland man responded to the ad for the Flanders Drive home, and agreed to pay a $400 security deposit, plus $400 a month in rent, police said. After the man moved in, he also loaned the phony landlord $550 and paid two month's rent. According to police, Flanders Drive contains a high number of foreclosed homes.

One day the  phony landlord told the man he needed to move out for 15 days because the gas company was coming in to do some repairs, police said. The man thought this was suspicious, and after doing some research found out the house didn't belong to the  phony landlord and he had no reason to be there. The phony landlord then disappeared and couldn't be contacted.

Police have a lead, but the case is still under investigation.