Ordinarily, the Luxury Rentals Manhattan "Service Corner" tag is reserved for lighter, more service-oriented posts -- which Manhattan neighborhoods offer the best selection of Chinese food, for instance. But while that sort of thing is no doubt important to dumpling enthusiasts -- and LRM readers know that we're already on the record on that issue -- it's not nearly as important as, say, not getting scammed when searching for a Manhattan rental apartment. That sort of thing is rare, but not nearly as rare as it should be, which is why we at Luxury Rentals Manhattan have a renter's guide on our site, and why we so closely vett the agents to whom we refer those interested in our NYC rental listings. Working with people you trust, especially when it comes to real estate agents, takes a lot of uncertainty and unpleasantness out of the Manhattan apartment search process. And, as a recent article in the Wall Street Journal reveals, working with people you cannot trust can take a lot of money out of your pocket. And so the Service Corner tag is revived, in the service (ha) of a much more serious post. After the jump: how not to get played.