Nine Valley families allegedly lost thousands of dollars to fraud just because they wanted a new apartment. Their mistake? Trusting a similar Facebook ad that turned out to be a massive bogus.
Facebook Rental Ad Scam
Even though the culprit was already caught, this does not erase the trauma and does not return the money lost overnight.
The culprit is a man by the name of Christopher Stress. He is now behind bars, for allegedly committing the fraud against thee families. He was arrested on both fraud and theft charges.
What was this ad and why was it so appealing?
Apparently, the said victims shared that they all responded to one Facebook ad they saw that was advertising a $900 condo located at Morten Villas, near the 19th and Northern avenues.
READ MORE: VIRAL: 139-Year-Old San Francisco Victorian House Literally Moved
Many of the victims said it was a good deal.
"I saw it was affordable, a beautiful condo with the backyard, a doggie door, two bedrooms, two bathrooms. It was perfect for me and my family," said Brooke Hites, one of the alleged victims.
Four people revealed that they were given the tour of the place the same day they saw the posting, signed a lease, and even gave money for a deposit.
Rental Scam Victims Lose Home and Life
"That was all of my savings," said Hites, one of the alleged victims who said she paid Stress $1,300 to reserve the said condo.
The other families who were interested in the condo, Courtney Taylor and Kyle Johnson revealed that in total, they gave the suspect $2,000.
Meanwhile, Clarissa Odell said she coughed up $1,800 when she signed to be given the condo.
The moment of truth came when they all tried to move into their condo. They were shocked to see others moving in as well.
Worse, when they confronted Stress so that he would return their money, he became violent and even threatened them.
"I [was] asking for the money back and he told me that I'm not going to get my money back," Odell said. "He tried to pull out a gun on my mom and brother, who were there with me," he added.
Apart from being threatened, most of the families found themselves homeless as a result. Many provided their down payment by selling their houses. So with nowhere to go, many became homeless or they slept in their cars.
"I'm staying in my car," Hites said. "I do have nights where I can bounce around between my friends and family, but there are times there is just not enough room, so my kids sleep with them and I in my car."
At present, not knowing where to get money, they have set up a GoFundMe account to help them rebuild their lives. They are sharing with whatever comes in.
Phoenix Police Department said Stress is only being charged with defrauding the nine. He cannot be complacent though because the trial is ongoing, which means he might be charged with even more.
READ MORE: The 'Furry' Next Big Thing to Happen in Real Estate
