New Rochelle Police Issue Alert About Real Estate Scammer

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Police say a man posing as a property manager conned at least one victim out of a substantial deposit for a home that was never actually for rent.

The internal intelligence bulletin with images of the man police say was behind the elaborate con was publicly released by the NRPD on Wednesday.

The fraud culminated on April 18 and involved the suspect both marketing and showing the property, before a victim handed over a $2,500 security deposit, investigators said. Police released images of the suspect distributing flyers for the fictional rental property and pictures of the minivan he drove while laying the groundwork for the eventual swindle. The suspect wore a mask in the surveillance camera stills and the plates had been removed from the van.

Once the mark called about the living space for rent, the fake landlord took the victim to a home that was owned by someone else, but for sale, according to officials. The con artist bypassed a real estate agent lock box and showed the apartment before collecting the ill-gotten deposit, police said. He then reportedly told his mark that he would return with a receipt, but never returned.