Trust your gut

This doesn't pass the smell test and it could be any number of scams.

Generally, you are right to be worried about anything not face to face- especially when someone is acting on behalf of a "client."

One potential scam- they use a fake money order, fake venmo and then request a partial refund cancelling at the last minute (keep the 1700 for your trouble- now send us back the 3200. Once the 3200 is sent you find out 2 weeks later the payment was not legit loosing out on whatever you sent).

Another potential scam- Use a fake account to pay- then steal everything in the house including the wiring from the walls.

Another potential scam- Use the lease as a way to get into the house and then force you to go through eviction proceedings to get them out.

If you decide to proceed further, I would absolutely get background checks on anyone involved as an absolute minimum in this scenario.

Figured I'd come back to put a bow on this story. Turns out it was not a scam.

Long story short:

This family lives in the neighborhood and had a fire. The 3rd party company that called me works with insurance companies to secure temporary housing in cases like this. The family wasn't having much luck finding a place b/c they have 2 dogs.

The company did offer $5,000 for one month. I showed the house to the couple and they said, oh, it'll be longer than a month. It would effectively be a month-to-month at $5,000 per.

Feeling comfortable w/ the family, I let them apply and started coordinating with the 3rd party company.

Initially it was to be a Thanksgiving move-in but the company wasn't able to find furniture in time, so it got pushed back. Meanwhile, I'm getting emails/calls from 3 different people at this company, asking overlapping questions I'd already answered.

THEN, I get a message from the couple asking for a reduced rate. Not to be greedy I told the company I could consider less.

Well, after a few days I don't hear anything from the couple. Finally reach out to the company again and they say "oh, they decided to move in w/family."

All in all it could have been good money, but I didn't lose anything. I continued to list and show the house and ended up finding a good, single tenant.