TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - A Nogales family lost more than a thousand dollars paying a rental deposit before receiving keys or a contract, prompting police to warn residents about rental scam red flags.

Joey Mercado used Facebook to find a rental. A woman he never met responded, offering a two-bedroom, one-bathroom duplex for $1,080 a month, including utilities. They arranged a viewing.

“It looked perfect,” Mercado said. “Me and my partner were amazed by it. So we thought it was a steal.”

Mercado said they only saw the exterior because tenants still lived there. The landlord assured Mercado the tenants were moving soon and asked Mercado to text a photo of his driver’s license and other private information.

Meeting at travel center

“He asked for $1,100 and said he was going to send his

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