Manhattan ? Riley County authorities have been warning residents about a rental property scam in Manhattan.

The Riley County Police Department said in a release Tuesday that the scam involves residential properties being posted on the internet for extremely low rent. The department says people involved with the scam arrange to meet a prospective renter at the site, but then tell them that they can’t go in because the property is being worked on.

They tell the renters they can hold the property for them if they provide the first month’s rent. They then promise to mail the renter a key, but fail to do so.

The police department said the properties being used are either vacant or for sale.