By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — A woman told police she was defrauded of $2,000 in a house rental scam. The woman said she responded to a rental advertisement on Zillow for a house to rent in the 2500 block of River Rouge Drive earlier in.
She was then contacted by the suspect via email who stated he owned the house and that the house was still available for rent. The woman drove by the house, viewed the photos online and decided to rent the house. She sent the suspect $2,000 for the first month’s rent and security deposit through Zelle using his email. Shortly after, the suspect said that he had COVID-19 and would mail her the keys to the house.
The woman was supposed to move into the house March 1, but didn’t receive the keys. She drove to the house and knocked on the door when the occupants answered. They said the house wasn’t for rent and that they didn’t know the suspect when provided his name.
The woman has screenshots of the transactions on her cellphone and attempted to call the suspect, but the phone number had been disconnected.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])