Dozen Tenants Victimized In Rental Scam

In Charlotte, North Carolina, WCNC-TV reports:

• Two former employees of a Charlotte real estate firm allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting tenants who believed they were paying rent to their landlord. Brian Augustine, owner of Elite Team Realty, said another employee recently discovered a tenant living in a property that was believed to have been vacant. The tenant told the employee he had paid cash and signed a lease with a woman who said she was an agent for Elite Team. Augustine said he later discovered similar agreements with at least 11 other tenants at properties his firm manages in Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties.

Reportedly, Augustine discovered that the two employees, a collections manager and a leasing agent, were mother and daughter and terminated their employment several weeks ago after uncovering irregularities in lease agreements and payments. For more, see Ex-employees accused of stealing from tenants.

Go here to watch the WCNC-TV report, Tenants fall victim to bogus rentals.

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Woman Charged With Trying To Rent Out Vacant Foreclosure Belonging To Bank

In California, the Daily Breeze reports:

• "A woman accused of trying to rent out a Torrance house she didn't own testified Friday she was hired by the owner as a property manager. [The judge] said at the conclusion of 24-year-old Glenda Anderson's preliminary hearing that she gave an "arguably reasonable explanation for her presence at the house." However, [he] ruled there was enough evidence to send her to trial on two counts of attempted grand theft because there was no evidence to support her explanation. The judge ordered her to return to court Aug. 31."

For more, including the details of how the alleged scam was discovered, how police set up an undercover "sting" to catch Anderson in the alleged illegal act, and the uncooperative response given to police by an employee of Nationwide Mortgage, the company Anderson said she worked for, see Woman says she's a victim during preliminary hearing (But judge orders her to stand trial for trying to rent out a Torrance house she didn't own).

For the story of an Austin, Texas man accused of swindling money from people by purportedly renting houses not belonging to him (reportedly used the Internet and Craigslist to find victims), see Real estate fraud suspect caught.

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Central Florida Cops Seek Accused Rental Scammer

WKMG-TV Channel 6 (Orlando, FL) reports:

• A woman in Central Florida is scamming people by offering them rental properties she does not own, according to police. Ormond Beach police said Alina Loseva placed classified ads to rent properties belonging to other people. Investigators said she obtained the keys to at least three properties from a local real estate office and even collected thousands of dollars from prospective tenants. Loseva and the money are missing, police said.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, investigators think at least five people have lost money in the case. Most paid security deposits of $1,000, although two victims paid $1,500 each, according to police. Reportedly, Loseva is suspected in similar cases in the Jacksonville Beach area. For more, see:

• Police: Woman Renting Properties Owned By Others (WKMG-TV - Channel 6),
• Ormond Beach Cops: Woman suspected in rental scam (Orlando Sentinel - 9-12-07).

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Stolen Lockbox Combinations On Realtor-Listed Property Being Used In San Diego-Area Rent Scams; Used Ads On Craigslist

The San Diego Business Journal reports:

• "Unidentified suspects have fraudulently obtained the combinations of lockboxes used to access residential properties for sale in the district. The suspects listed the properties for rent on Craigslist.com last month, used ill-gotten combinations to access homes, show them to potential renters, accept cash deposits and then disappear, according to Sandicor Inc., the local manager of San Diego County’s multiple listing service."

For more, see Criminals Using Stolen Lockbox Combinations to Run Scams on Renters (Realtor Board Urges Members to Protect PIN Numbers, Codes).

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San Diego DA Charges 2 In Alleged Felony Rent Scam Claiming Multiple Victims

In San Diego, California, KGTV Channel 10 reports:

• Anthony Zocoolillo, 30, pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges, including robbery, conspiracy to commit a crime, grand theft of personal property and accessing a computer to defraud. The charges against are in connection with a rental scam prosecutors said Zoccolillo ran with Robert Ramus. "They met with victims at the house and accepted money pretending they could rent houses. So far, we have information that they've taken $9,400 in cash," said Deputy District Attorney Jim Waters. [...] The group used computers at a Kinko's to access the Multiple Listing Service database used by real estate agents, documents stated. The men used an access code from a friend and got the lock box code numbers for two homes, including the Pacific Beach home. [...] Ramus pleaded not guilty to charges last Friday.

For more, see Alleged Rental Scam Ringleader Pleads Not Guilty.

For earlier Channel 10 stories on this case, see:

• October 5, 2007: Man Faces Felony Charges In Connection To Rental Scam,
• August 27, 2007: 10News Viewers Help I-Team Expose Man Behind Alleged Scam,
• August 24, 2007: 10News Investigates Craigslist Home Rental Scam.

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Realtor Uncovers Rent Scam Involving Her Listing & Craigslist

In Chico, California, the Chico Enterprise Record recently reported:

• A local Realtor, who happens to be the 2008 president of the Chico Association of Realtors, was exposed to a new take on Internet scamming involving real estate. Debbie Brodie of Realty World Choice Properties discovered a house she was representing was the target of a scam when she started getting calls from people asking about renting the place. Brodie was trying to sell the house for the owner. Brodie discovered that scammers were promoting the three-bedroom house for rent on Craig's List, an Internet-based ad service. Scammers picked up the house photo from Brodie's Multiple Listing Service information, and included her name in a e-mail address that wasn't hers. The scammers were trying to get $600 a month for rent, with a $200 deposit, and may have been asked for two months rent in advance. Brodie uncovered the scam when she was called by potential renters who had searched for her name on the Internet.

For more, see Scammers find real estate a sweet target.

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Rent Scammers Using Fake Ads On Craigslist Cop Plea

In San Diego, California, KGTV Channel 10 reports that Anthony Zoccolillo, 30, and Robert Ramus, 68, struck a deal with the district attorney and pleaded guilty last week to one count of conspiracy and two counts of grand theft in a rent scam in which they purported to offer for rent homes they didn't own and pocketed the cash paid to them by unwitting rental prospects. According to the story:

• Zoccolillo and Ramus used the Internet to their advantage, posting fake rental ads on Craigslist and pretending to rent out upscale, vacant homes that were actually for sale and listed on the Multiple Listings Service (MLS). The MLS is a database used by real estate agents, and that is how the pair had information on the homes, including the code to open the lock boxes.

The Channel 10 I-Team brought this scam to light when they set up a sting, offering the two men cash for a rental deposit for a Pacific Beach home. They worked with a private investigator / former cop who pretended to be the sucker in the sting. For more, see Men Plead Guilty In Home Rental Scam, or go here to watch the Channel 10 I-Team video coverage.

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Cops Bag Rent Scam Suspects, Alleged To Have Rented Vacant Home They Didn't Own; Victim Out One Month's Rent

In Southern California, The Press Enterprise reports:

• Moreno Valley police arrested two men Wednesday on suspicion of renting out a house they didn't own, and police suspect they may have scammed several other renters. After meeting with two men and touring the vacant house, the [prospective tenant] opted to rent the house and paid for the first month's rent with $1,200 cash, [Sgt. Ken] Paulson said. The next day, as she was moving in, she noticed a new "for rent" sign in the front yard with a different phone number, Paulson said. The woman called the real owner and learned she was swindled.

***

• Police [...] arrested Ronnie Albert Adams, 27, and Ricky Tom, 19, on suspicion of conspiracy and theft by false pretenses, Paulson said.

For more, see Two jailed in Moreno Valley house rental scam.

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Another Rent Scam Hits Craigslist, Targets Renters, Realtors In Washington State

In Seattle, Washington, KING-TV Channel 5 reports:

• It looks like another scam is hitting Craigslist. This one is preying upon renters and realtors. Marlow Harris has been in real estate for more than 20 years, but she has never seen anything quite like this. Someone took the online listing she posted for a brand-new townhouse in Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood and copied it to Craigslist as a rental.
  The $365,000 home was suddenly on the renters market for $1200 per month.

***

• Marlow was tipped off by an e-mail from a prospective renter who almost fell for the scam. "The person who placed the ad wanted him to send him $40 because he was out of the country, so he could send him the keys and he could go look at the place himself," she said. The low-rent rip-off may not seem like a big deal until you realize just how easy it is, and the fact that Internet-based scams like this are usually run all across the county with an endless supply of potential victims.

• "I think that anyone who places an ad on Craigslist or has any of their homes online is going to run the same risk, because anyone can copy and paste and put anything on Craigslist," said Marlow.

For more, see New Craigslist scam preys on renters, realtors.

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Oregon Cops Charge Phony Landlord In Rent Scam; Used Craigslist to Lure Victims

In Portland, Oregon, KGW-TV Channel 8 reports:

• Portland Police arrested a woman for scamming people out of rent or real estate money in a Craigslist scam. Detectives charged 33-year-old Lynne Sisto Tuesday for theft and aggravated theft. She had previously faced similar charges. Investigators said Sisto would contact people looking for places to live through the Web site, and pass herself off as the property owner. Then police said she would get deposit or rent money before the victims realized what had happened.

According to the television report, police estimate that victims were scammed out of over $100,000. Go here to view KGW-TV Channel 8 video report.

To read online report, see Woman accused of elaborate Craigslist house sale scam.

See also, Woman Posing As Landlord Arrested Again (KPTV Channel 12).

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Increase In Vacant Homes A Boon For Squatters, Scam Artists, Copper Thieves

In Southern California, the Whittier Daily News reports:

• With more than 80,000 foreclosures in California during the last quarter of 2007 setting a state record - up 115 percent over the previous year - property owners have struggled to keep squatters and thieves off their vacant properties. [Realtor Steve] Smallson said after several break-ins, his company, White House Properties, now checks more frequently on the more than 50 foreclosure properties on its to-sell list.

• Thousands of dollars worth of copper plumbing and air-conditioning units were stolen at a three-bedroom Van Nuys house just as a buyer was going through escrow, he said. "I guess these thieves case these places, see the signs, realize that the place is vacant and jump on the opportunity," he said. Last month, at the same three-bedroom house, Smallson found a man inside enjoying three Mickey's Big Mouth malt liquor beers. The 20-something man told Smallson he was "looking at the property." "I don't know how much this happens, but it's just terrible," Smallson said.

• Another problem that's picked up with the glut of foreclosed properties is real estate scams in which thieves "rent out" homes they don't own, often taking money from several people for the same property, said Detective Erin Camphouse, of the LAPD's Real Estate Fraud Unit. "They can take a whole lot of money really fast without having to get themselves noticed," she said of the thieves who often post on Craigslist.com or other Web sites and in community newspapers. Others will break locks at a foreclosed home and install new ones, then rent the properties to unsuspecting tenants. Sometimes those duped pay months of rent before they discover they've been ripped off.

For more, see Squatters, scams plague foreclosures.

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Online Ad On Craigslist For Oregon Rental Home A Scam

In Salem, Oregon, the Statesman Journal reports:

• Salem resident Angela Shrabel checks the latest posts on Craigslist every morning as part of her efforts to find a bigger home. And on Thursday, she spotted it — a four-bedroom, two-car-garage home in southeast Salem, at an ideal rent of $1,040 per month. Shrabel quickly dashed off an e-mail to the Craigslist user and drove that morning to see the home. But when she arrived, she found fliers posted by Northwest Pacific Property Management announcing a rent of $1,600 per month. When Shrabel called the Salem company, Northwest Pacific property manager Pat Gorham told her that the Craigslist ad was a scam.

• Gorham said he fielded nearly 30 calls in two days about the bogus online ad. Northwest Pacific Property Management is the only property manager of [the home], Gorham said. Gorham said he e-mailed the Craigslist ad poster and was asked to fill out an application and send money to a South Carolina address. Then he would receive the keys to the home via FedEx. Gorham has reported the posting as a possible fraud to Salem Police Department and Craigslist.

For more, see Online rental ad revealed as scam (Company behind Craigslist posting might not exist).

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St. Louis-Area Cops Probe Possible Rent Scam; Man Accused Of Pocketing Cash, Not Giving Possession Of Premises To Tenants

In St. Louis, Missouri, KSDK-TV Channel 5 reports:

• Police officers in Bellefontaine Neighbors and Dellwood are investigating claims that a real estate dealer is "renting" houses, taking money from his clients, and not turning over the rental units. However, the man accused of the scam, Irving Williams, tells reporter Mike Owens that he's done nothing wrong, and if there are problems, it's a civil matter and not a criminal one.

Three prospective tenants have complained to cops and are out over $3,000. For more, see I-Team Report: Renters Ranting Over Landlord.

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Cops Warn Against Internet "Missionary Crusade" Rent Hoaxes Promoting Cheap Rentals

In Ontario, Canada, The Barrie Examiner reports:

• Barrie police have issued a public warning about an ongoing fraud involving extremely cheap rental properties. Officers with the fraud unit say the suspects post local addresses on the "Kijiji" website, which features classified advertisements. The suspects make the rental sound very attractive by its location, low cost of rent and making it all inclusive. The properties are listed at a very low amount and include all utilities.

• When a person responds to the ad, they receive an e-mail stating that the person is on a "missionary crusade" and have decided to put their residence up for rent. If the person responds to the e-mail, the suspects send a rental contract to be filled out and faxed to an out-of-country location. The suspect always says that the property is theirs and they will courier the keys upon receipt of rent money. The money is to be wired to a location outside Canada. Police say the properties the suspects are using are usually for sale and advertised on a real-estate website.

Source: Cops warn of new fraud scam.

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Oregon Couple, Others Victimized In "Craigslist" Rent Scam

KPTV Channel 12 in Oregon reports:

• An Oregon City couple said a Clackamas mortgage company scammed them out of their hard-earned cash. And the company has received other complaints as well. Lynn and Ed King-Wohlhuter said they found an advertisement on Craigslist.org, claiming a Clackamas company was willing to buy homes and allow perspective buyers with poor credit to buy the homes back on lease options. The couple said they borrowed $3,000 after the company’s representative said he would buy them a house in Georgia so they could be closer to family. But the couple said after paying the money, the company’s owner refused to return their calls and never made good on the deal. They said they may now lose everything.

For more, see Couple Claims Mortgage Company Scammed Them Of Thousands.

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City-Approved Real Estate Agent Rents Foreclosed Home To Unwitting Homeless Mom, Three Kids

In New York City, the New York Daily News reports:

• Queens mom Lynn Manning had been living with her three children in a homeless shelter for far too long. So when the real estate agent from a city-approved list agreed to take her public assistance rental payments for a shabby Jamaica apartment, she wasn't about to turn him down. A year later, Manning, 35, is being evicted from the tiny two-bedroom dwelling at 138-31 91st Ave. When she went to Housing Court this month, she found out she had unwittingly been renting a foreclosed home.

***

• Homeless Services spokeswoman Linda Bazerjian called the case "an unfortunate circumstance." The agency "has been helping the tenant to find another suitable housing situation," Bazerjian said, but declined to explain how her current plight could have happened.

For more, see Realtor OKd by city signed mom up for foreclosed home.

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Overseas Internet Scammers Running Rental Hoaxes Hit Alaska; Bogus Ads Showing Up On Craigslist

In Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reports:

• Overseas Internet scammers are including Anchorage residents among their targets in the latest scheme to hit online sites featuring classified ads, according to Anchorage police. The scam, which involves residential rental ads being listed by someone other than the property owner, has been making its way around the country for some time, but has just recently been reported here with at least three homes being fraudulently listed on Craigslist, said Detective Sgt. Ron Tidler, supervisor of the Anchorage police computer crimes unit. "I haven't come across anybody that has actually been duped by it, but sometimes people can be too embarrassed to report it," he said.

For more, see Rental hoax arrives from abroad (Internet Ads: Scammers pose as Anchorage property owners, police say).

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CBS Evening News On Squatters Moving Into Foreclosed Homes

In Sacramento, California, the CBS Evening News ran a story last night showing its correspondent, Ben Tracy, tagging along with a couple of local code enforcement officers making the rounds, inspecting vacant and often vandalized foreclosed homes taken back by the bank, bumping into occasional squatters along the way. Some are simply looking for a place to live. Then, there are the others, as this excerpt describes:

• Some of these squatters are even more brazen. they'll clean a place up, get the power hooked up, then they'll change the locks on the door and actually rent it out, collecting money on a place they don't even own. Real estate fraud detective Mike Wood says scammers reel in unsuspecting tenants by posting on sites such as Craigslist. "It's not till months later that the bank finally sends someone to check on the house and to discover that someone's actually living in there," Wood said. That makes it hard to know who belongs and who doesn't.

To read more, see The Frontlines Of The Foreclosure Crisis (After Banks Take Over Homes, Squatters Move In, Leaving Enforcement In A Bind).

For the CBS News video on this story, see Squatters On The Rise (A recent survey found that in 33 percent of cities nationwide vacant homes and blight).

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