Crime & Safety
Police: Suffolk County Man Charged in Craigslist Rental Scam
The 39-year-old accepted cash deposits from three people who answered advertisements to rent a home he did not own, police say.
A Suffolk County man is accused of running a rental scam over the last several days.
Third Precinct Crime Section officers initiated an investigation after a complaint of a man renting the same house at 23 Hickory Street in Central Islip to numerous individuals, police said.
Joseph Carretto, 39, accepted cash deposits from three people who answered advertisements on Craigslist since Sunday, police said.
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Carretto, of Central Islip, completed a written rental agreement and gave the victims a key, police said. The property was unoccupied and owned by a bank.
Carretto was arrested and charged with second degree scheme to defraud and three counts of petty larceny, police said. He was scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Thursday.
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The investigation is continuing and police are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim in the scam and has not spoken with police to call the Third Precinct Crime Section at 631-854-8329.
Photo: Google Maps
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