Homeless Man Dupes Would-be Renters, Police Say
Homeless Man Dupes Would-be Renters, Police Say
A homeless man posted a foreclosed home available for rent that he had no ties to on Craigslist, and then pocketed the cash from potential renters so that he could afford a place to live for himself, according to police reports.
Eric Sisson, 27, posted a foreclosed home in Ormond Beach, Fla., on Craigslist, saying that he just recently purchased it and wanted to rent it out. Two people responded to his ad, agreeing to rent the home and giving Sisson a total of $1,375 for the “fake” rental agreements, police say.
One victim soon after asked for her deposit back, and Sisson sent her a check. But when she went to deposit it, the bank said the check was from a closed bank account.
Both women, realizing they had been duped, eventually contacted police.
Police arrested Sisson when he showed up at the house to collect the rest of the deposit from one victim. He faces charges in connection with obtaining property by fraud, issuing a worthless check, unarmed burglary, and grand theft.
Sisson told police that he didn’t own the home. He told police that he was posting the fake rental ad so he could get money to afford his own place to live in, MyFoxOrlando.com reports.
In recent months, real estate professionals have been warning others about similar rental scams, in which scammers are using sites like Craigslist to post homes for rent that they don’t really own.
Source: “Homeless Man Rents Out Vacant House,” MyFoxOrlando.com (July 2, 2012)
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