SAN DIEGO -- A growing number of crooks and con artists are using popular Web sites to take advantage of renters.

Complaints from renters who had lost thousands of dollars had poured into the 10News I-Team office since 10News exposed a locally run scam six months ago.

10News reporter Lauren Reynolds reported that the problem is getting worse.

A three-bedroom house on Corte Eduardo in Carlsbad was advertised for $1,500 a month. That was the price that Brennan Scully and Samantha Sierra thought they were getting. Instead, they were scammed.

"I had all the info that I thought I needed, but it just went wrong," Sierra said.

It started with a Craigslist rental ad posted by a Nick Nasser. The couple started corresponding with Nasser through e-mail.

"First we filled out a rental application and of course we were approved," Sierra said.

"We went and checked out the house and everything seemed fine. It was empty and ready to be rented, so we didn't find any red flags or anything," Scully said.

The couple viewed the house from the outside since Nasser couldn't show them the inside of the house because he claimed to be in South Carolina. He sent pictures of the house and his phone number.

"I actually ended up speaking to him, which put my mind at ease," Sierra said.

Nasser told the couple to wire $1,700 to his secretary Tara Oliver, in South Carolina.

"He told us the second he got the money he would FedEx us the next day the lease agreement and the keys to the house," Sierra said.

They wired the money and Western Union confirmed a Tara Oliver picked it up in Greenville, S.C. But the keys never came.

Scully had a sinking feeling and then the shocker came. He Googled the address of the Carlsbad home and found an ad for the same house. The house was listed by a different owner, the real owner, at a much higher rental price. The house was listed for $2,750 -- not the $1,500 a month that Scully had thought was the rental price.

Nasser's phone number had since been disconnected. Nasser's name is being used on other rental scams in the country.

International criminals have gotten into the rental scam business.

"It was a really good price, so I said, 'Let me click on this'," Arika Wells said.

Wells found a three-bedroom home on Cowles Mountain Boulevard listed for rent on Craigslist for $1,000 a month. The supposed homeowner has a job overseas and sent Wells pictures and legitimate looking paperwork.

Wells called the phone number on the ad and was instructed to fill out a sample lease and rental application.

She couldn't get into the house to see it because the owner told her he didn't have anyone locally who could show it. Wells was told to wire a $250 deposit overseas.

"Wells wanted to make sure the house really existed. She located the house, but she also found a clue that this was probably a scam," 10News reporter Reynolds said.

"I saw the lockbox on the front door," Wells said.

A lockbox means a Realtor was involved in the sale. Wells became suspicious and Googled the address. She found a rental listing by the real owner. The real price was $1,895 a month, not the $1,000 a month she had seen in the scam ad.

Reynolds tired to contact the phony landlord using the international phone number he had given Wells.

"I'm calling about your house on Cowles Mountain Road," Reynolds said.

A smooth-talking, heavily accented man answered and described the rental as a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home.

"The house had three bedrooms, not four and when I confront him, he hangs up," Reynolds said. "No one answered my repeated call backs."

Fortunately Wells was suspicious and sent no money. But Scully and Sierra learned a $1,700 lesson.

"Unless it's face to face, I'm not doing anything anymore," Scully said.

"Always meet face to face with the landlord or a licensed real estate agent and never wire money. Make sure you get an inside tour of the home and don't settle for photos. You may want to Google the address to see how many ads pop up for the home," Reynolds advised.