Screenshots shared with 404 Media show tenant screening services ApproveShield and Argyle taking much more data than they need. “Opt-out means no housing.”
Especially since this has been an identity theft scam for decades. People post fake, too good to be true, rental listings on Craigslist and the application asks for SSN and a “family reference” (asking for mother’s maiden name) and a weirdly small deposit paid by check. Now you’ve got all the info you need to steal someone’s identity. And I assume this kind of thing has gotten more sophisticated in the digital realm since I was last renting.
Especially since this has been an identity theft scam for decades. People post fake, too good to be true, rental listings on Craigslist and the application asks for SSN and a “family reference” (asking for mother’s maiden name) and a weirdly small deposit paid by check. Now you’ve got all the info you need to steal someone’s identity. And I assume this kind of thing has gotten more sophisticated in the digital realm since I was last renting.