Mary Kaphuka imagined she would start life again in her dream apartment when she returned home to Milwaukee from Missouri with her fiancé, four children, and an unborn child….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Now, their dream is far from coming true after the family was left without a home when they fell for an apparent apartment scheme in Milwaukee.
Kaphuka learned about the supposed four-bedroom apartment on Facebook from a woman named “Ms. Allie.” The person claimed that she owned a rental business that assisted vulnerable mothers in locating secure rental accommodation.
On the day of move-in, there was no house, despite Kaphuka having paid the $1,200 security deposit.
The six-member family claimed that soon after paying the security deposit, they discovered the apartment was a scam.
To make matters worse, the suspected schemer has gone missing.
“So, we went looking for the house and the address, the location, did not match,” Kaphuka told WISN.
There was no “Ms. Allie.”
“She stopped answering and even responding to my messages,” Kaphuka said. “My hard-earned money I worked for that you took from me and my family and left us with nothing.”
Kaphuka has been staying with friends, family, or hotels, as well as couch surfing. She has run out of alternatives.
“I do know that there’s shelters out here, so that’s going to be my next move,” she said.
Meanwhile, the frustrated mother stated that her children are equally overwhelmed by the circumstances.
“I mean they’re… my daughter’s asking questions she was. It’s just hard. I mean, my kids, they’re small, so they really don’t understand, but it’s just a lot,” she told the outlet.
According to Kaphuka, she has reported the suspected schemer to the police and hopes that they will charge the person.
In addition, she stated that she intends to file a small claims lawsuit.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers create listings for properties that aren’t for rent or don’t exist.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most recent Internet Crime Report estimates that 9,521 real estate scam complaints were submitted in 2023, resulting in damages above $145 million.
The FTC provides a list of rules to follow to prevent scams:
To be sure it’s indeed for rent and that it fits the advertisement, go in person.
Compare the prices; if the rent is notably lower than comparable rents in the neighborhood, it could indicate a fraud. And leave if someone tells you that you need to make a decision fast in order to receive a good offer.
Use terms like “complaint,” “review,” or “scam” to look for the name of the landlord or rental agency online. Read about other people’s experiences.
If a landlord specifies that you can only pay with cash, a gift card, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer provider like MoneyGram or Western Union, don’t send money. Wiring money, mailing gift cards, or making cryptocurrency payments is similar to sending cash. It is difficult to retrieve funds once they have been sent….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
