ORLANDO, Fla. —  A once-popular rental scheme is gaining new wind on social media, and becoming a growing concern for renters in Central Florida.

One victim, Edward Rodriguez says he and his girlfriend lost more than $500 after responding to what they now believe was a fake listing for a rental home posted on Facebook. 

“We find this place listed, a $1,000 a month. We looked at the images, it looked great,” Edward Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez says they spoke with the “supposed” landlord, even signing a rental agreement.

“We get the form through email, and we fill it out and he started tell us about the different fees and charges. He started by tell us there was a $50 fee,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez says they sent this man $50 each using a quick pay app, a total of $100, but it doesn’t stop there.

“He comes back and he says I see you are interested, let's do this, let's move forward with you guys. I need you guys to send me another deposit to show that I could hold this house for you guys,” Rodriguez said.

This time, about $465. Their costs are now up to more than $500. Last week the couple went to the home for the first time to meet the “landlord”, but when they arrive Rodriguez says he and his girlfriend got a startling surprise.

“A family hops out and we are like huh? OK. A woman steps out and she says 'are you here to see the house'? We say yeah, we are here to see the house. She goes, 'oh, that’s my house, I just signed the lease yesterday,' and at that point we were shocked. Shocked and confused,” Rodriguez said.

We went to that address, meeting Humberto Figueroa. He recounts the same story. Humberto believes Rodriguez and his girlfriend had not been talking to the real leasing agency. 

“When we get here, they are waiting on the guy. I tell them, call the guy up, let's see if he shows up. She called, the guy went off on him, the guy was like, 'well, I’m on my way, hanged up and ever heard from him no more,” Figueroa said.

Rodriguez says it was obvious at this point that they fell victim to a scheme.

“It is messed up during a time like this, when we should all be helping each other, and there are people in our community who are trying to bring us down,” Rodriguez said.

“We would see it from Craigslist, but now we are seeing it more from social media. Scammers are taking 'bonafied' rental or perhaps even sales listings, they smack their own information on it and put it out there with the intention of misleading consumers,” said Better Business Bureau president and CEO Holly Salmons.

Salmons says these schemes are popping up more rapidly now, with attempts to prey on people eager to find quality housing at a decent rate. 

“The real power though for consumers is to educate yourself, before you find yourself in that position," Salmons said. "If they are asking you to pay to apply before you’ve ever seen the property in person, that could be a red flag.”

It's a red flag Rodriguez says he will be sure to pay close attention to in the future. 

“I just want to make sure everyone is aware of this,” Rodriguez said.

We did reach out to Kissimmee Police about this specific incident and they currently investigating this case. If you find yourself victim of this type of scheme, you need to try and reach out to your bank or credit card company, and your local police or sheriff's office as soon as possible. 

Also, not all quick pay apps have insurance safeguards so that you can get your funds back. Double check before sending any money, it could save you in the long run.