Instagram tells Channel 2 Action News that it has deactivated an account that allowed people to squat in metro Atlanta homes for a one-time fee.
Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray first reported on the account on Monday on Channel 2 Action News at 5 p.m.
At first glance, it looked just like another real estate pro hustling to rent homes on social media.
But at 1TimePaymentHomes, the site made it clear they were renting out squatter homes and spelled out just what that means in a pinned Insta story.
[HAVE A STORY FOR CHANNEL 2 ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES? Submit it here ]
“The company’s owners will come out, so will the police. The police will tell you there’s nothing they can do about it — squatters rights,” the story said.
“This is a criminal act. This is stealing and needs to be looked at that way,” said a property owner who asked only to be identified as David.
Property owners and managers say the squatting problem has exploded over the past year in metro Atlanta.