FORT MYERS, Fla. - A Fort Myers woman says her house has been on the market for years, so she was shocked to find out someone listed it for rent!

Janice Morgan says she knew something was wrong when people stopped by - to ask her about renting her home. That's when she did a little digging.

Janice Morgan got quite a shock one day when she looked out of her window to see someone looking in.

"I asked if I could help and they said they were looking at the house they didn't realized somebody lived here," she said.

Her house is for sale so she didn't think too much about it. But the curious people kept on coming.

"I explained to him that the house wasn't for rent, it was for sale and he said well, it's for rent. I said no it's not," she said.

Turns out, someone posted her home on Zillo.com saying it's for rent, and encouraging prospective-renters to walk around the property!

Morgan got suspicious so she pretended to be someone interested renting her own home. She got a lengthy e-mail from a mysterious person using her own ex-brother in law's name. That person was also asking for a deposit.

Lee County Sheriff's deputies confirm that person is a scam artist.

"It really makes you feel small. That you're really insignificant in this world. And you hear so much bad stuff on the news, and you're just a number. And it could happen to anybody. Everybody should just be aware of what's going on," said Morgan. 

The Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit encourages you to remember the following:

 • Always keep your doors and windows locked.

 • Beware of a rental deal online that sounds to good too be true.

• Homes that are legitimately for sale and are posted on realtor websites with pictures and descriptive information can be copied and pasted to another site. Check out the authenticity of the ad either by contacting a local realtor, requesting to speak by phone or meet the person renting the property at the rental location. (If possible, never go alone).

• Do not wire money in exchange for a key or to "hold" the property.

• Be careful about filling out "applications" given to you by strangers; you may be giving personal information to an identity thief.

• You can verify the owner of the home by checking with the Lee County Property Appraiser's Office at www.leepa.org.

To report fraudulent "non-emergency" information, please contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office Fraud Line at (239) 477-1242. To arrange for someone to come out to your community to talk about this or another safety or security topic please contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Community Relations Section at 239-477-1400.