Problems with Fraudulent Bank Statements/Paystubs

[Gideon Mukoro]

Landlords, property managers, and tenant screeners—how often do you encounter fraudulent income documents (bank statements, paystubs, etc.)?

• What are the biggest challenges in verifying income?
• Are there common red flags you’ve noticed?
• Have you had tenants who seemed qualified on paper but turned out to be financially unreliable?
• What tools or methods do you use to verify income beyond traditional documents?
  
  I’m researching how big of a problem this is in tenant screening and would love to hear real-world experiences. Any insights are appreciated!

[Daniel Tanasa]

It happens sometimes, but usually you can spot it if you do your diligence and call the employer and previous landlord etc. Carefully check the documents they send you to make sure there are no red flags. If you feel like something may be wrong, most likely it is. 

I just had a tenant that tried to rent one of my houses and YTD income in September was bigger that YTD income in December. When I asked about it he ghosted me.

Scams are a lot more common when you list the house directly on Zillow in my experience.