Manhattan Feds Pinch Website Operator For Allegedly Clipping Over 2,000 Prospective Tenants Seeking NYC Apartments With Fees For Viewing Bogus Rental Listings; Prosecutor: Suspect Pocketed Over $100K

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (New York City):

• Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced [] the filing of a criminal complaint charging ROBERT GUZMAN with mail fraud in connection with a fraudulent apartment rental scheme that claimed more than 2,000 victims.
  
  As alleged, GUZMAN posted apartments supposedly available for rent in New York City on websites he operated, amazingapartmentrentals.com and www.equityproject.net (the “Websites”), that charged a fee to view the apartments on the Website.
  
  Between 2013 and 2016, victims paid GUZMAN (who has no real estate licenses) more than $100,000, but were never able to view the apartments purportedly available for rent on the Websites, some of which were not, in fact, in New York City, and others of which were not, in fact, available for rent.

For more, see Website Operator Charged With Defrauding More Than 2,000 Victims In New York City Apartment Search Scam. online rent scam