JAFFREY — “House not for rent” and “Craigslist scam” are the signs posted in the widows of 9 Nelson Circle — the home Kari Lindstrom-Quiter and her family have rented since last summer — to warn people about an ongoing Internet house-leasing scam plaguing the residence.

Lindstrom-Quiter, her husband, Jim, and their three children moved from Hillsborough to Jaffrey in June 2011. They are currently renting the four-bedroom home while they save money to build a new home.

But on Craigslist last week, a house-leasing advertisement stated the home was available for rent at $750 per month. The house is described as having hardwood floors, a full basement, laundry room and large fenced-in backyard. The description fits the house, Lindstrom-Quiter said in an interview with the Ledger-Transcript Thursday, but $750 per month is significantly less than the actual rental price.

Lindstrom-Quiter said a few friends, who also live on the street, cautioned her when she told them about her plans to move in last summer.

“People told me to be careful. They believed the house was a part of some sort of scam,” Lindstrom-Quiter said, explaining that at that time the details of the alleged scam were unclear.

But, shortly after moving in, Lindstrom-Quiter said an older couple with a truck full of furniture, all their belongings and a dog pulled up in their driveway.

“They said they were on fixed incomes and had sent all the money they had to Europe. ... It was devastating,” Lindstrom Quiter said of her reaction. She added that the woman was on disability and the man unable to work.

While she said that it was her understanding the couple went to the Jaffrey Police Department at that time, Police Chief Bill Oswalt said Monday that the department has no record of the incident.

An advertisement for the home appeared on Craigslist again last week, Lindstrom-Quiter said, causing her immediate concern. People were driving by the house and knocking on the front door asking if it was available to rent, she said. In her frustration, Lindstrom-Quiter said, she quickly made signs to post on the living room window to deter people.

“I went to the media as soon as people started showing up,” Lindstrom-Quiter said. “We did not want a repeat of last summer. It was heartbreaking and frightening to us to have a family virtually homeless on your front lawn.”

Lindstrom-Quiter said she also contacted Craigslist and that the site then removed the ad. Because the scam has continued at this location for some time now, Lindstrom-Quiter said she’s concerned the ad could resurface again.

Wendy Freeman of New Ipswich, who purchased the property in 2005 and is the current landlord, said Saturday that her biggest concern right now is that there is nothing she can do to help her current tenets.

“I am concerned for the family’s safety because I feel like they are being unnecessarily harassed,” Freeman said. In addition to the family that showed up ready to move in last summer, Freeman said that others have come by the home unannounced, seeking to rent the property as a result of the Craigslist ad.

Freeman cautioned people interested in a rental property to never wire money abroad or submit an application without having met someone first.

“People need to realize in today’s market that you aren’t going to get a four-bedroom, two-bath house for only $750 a month,” Freeman said.

In an interview with the Ledger-Transcript Monday, Oswalt said that in cases like this it is difficult for the local police agency to provide assistance.

“The real victim here is the one who sent the money out in this scam,” Oswalt said. “The Jaffrey residents are secondary victims.”

If a conversation between a prospective renter and the family was to become contentious, Oswalt said police would provide protection and assistance. But chasing down the scammers is something that the department doesn’t have the resources or jurisdiction to do, he said.

Because the money to rent the property was allegedly wired outside the U.S. last summer, Oswalt said it could even be difficult for state or federal agencies to investigate and prosecute.

Senior Assistant Attorney General James Boffetti of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau did not return messages left by press time Monday seeking comment.

The Craigslist’s website includes personal safety tips for users, which outline the warning signs for a potential scam.

The site advises people to meet the seller or renter in person and to never give out financial information or wire funds. The site also warns against renting a house without first seeing the interior.

Oswalt said he would not call this particular type of scam a regular occurrence in Jaffrey and added that it can often be difficult to quantify because not everyone reports them to the police.

“I haven’t had a direct conversation with the family, but certainly awareness is a key word,” Oswalt said. “People may naturally become upset when they find out they’ve been scammed. I would caution them to be alert, and tell anyone not to invite someone into your home you don’t know.”

This article appeared in the Jan. 24, 2012, edition of the Ledger-Transcript.