Scammers defrauded at least 3 victims from the Miami Beach apartment that the owner had already rented – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

(WSVN) – Right now it’s difficult to find an apartment to rent in South Florida. One woman believed she had found the right place for her by the time she tried the key. Karen Hensel has 7 investigations tonight.

There may be rental signs everywhere, but getting the keys to move in can be a challenge.

Alejandra, victim of rental fraud (translation): “I wanted to move …”

Alejandra, who asked us to only use her first name, thought she found the perfect place through a Facebook marketplace post, but the little Miami Beach studio became a big problem.

Alejandra: “It’s terrible. I don’t know how many people this guy did that to. “

In June, Alejandra arranged a tour of this apartment with a man she believed was the property manager.

Alejandra: “He opened the lock and took out the keys and showed me the apartment.”

She even called her parents excitedly.

Alejandra: “I filmed with my parents to show them where I would live. I wasn’t worried. “

Alejandra says she signed a lease and paid $ 2,100 in cash to cover the security deposit and first month’s rent and is ready to move in, but the key she was given didn’t work and the man who did had given it to her, now the confidentiality treatment gave her.

Alejandra: “I told myself I would give him until Monday because it was the weekend. I started calling him, but he didn’t answer. “

It turned out that he wasn’t the property manager, but a money-making scammer.

He had this bogus business report with a picture of the apartment house posing as a property manager, and he didn’t work this scam alone.

Natalia Pelaez, apartment owner: “I don’t think this is the first time because they made it so simple and ingenious. They entered the property. You showed the property to various people. “

Natalia Pelaez owns the apartment. She had already rented it to someone when Alejandra thought she was moving in, and it turned out that Alejandra wasn’t the only victim.

Natalia Pelaez: “One of the victims came by and said, ‘Oh, great, you’re doing repairs. I’ll move in tomorrow. My husband said, ‘No, we already rented it to someone else’ and that’s how we found the first victim. “

Then two other people showed up as tenants, including this man with suitcases in hand.

Natalia Pelaez: “The young man, that was the last money he saved. There was nowhere to go. He went with his two suitcases and basically stood in the street and asked, ‘Where do I go from here?’ “

The special thing about this scam is that it didn’t just happen online. The fraudsters were even bolder. They were right here showing three victims we know of so far to the same apartment. All three have filed police reports with the Miami Beach Police, which are now investigating.

Natalia Pelaez: “We feel terrible and we feel responsible to a certain extent, but we don’t know how to help them, other than give them all possible information and help the police.

Alejandra is worried because the rental fraudster now has her personal information.

Alejandra: “I’m scared. This man has all of my information. He knows where I live because he has my address. He has my license plate. He knows where I work. “

And now she has to start saving again to find a new apartment.

CONTACT 7 INQUIRED:
305-627 NOTE
954-921-CLUE
hinweis@wsvn.com

Copyright 2021 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news straight to your inbox

The post Scammers defrauded at least 3 victims from the Miami Beach apartment that the owner had already rented - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/scammers-defrauded-at-least-3-victims-from-the-miami-beach-apartment-that-the-owner-had-already-rented-wsvn-7news-miami-news-weather-sports/