South Carolina woman accused of using Craigslist for fraud

Whenever someone is accused of fraud, it’s important to be able to refute the charges if you feel like you are being wrongly accused. Sometimes someone’s actions could have been a simple misunderstanding, instead of a malicious attempt to bilk someone out of money. No matter what the charges, though, the accused needs to be guaranteed the right to a fair trial.

A woman was recently arrested in Summerville, South Carolina, by U.S. Marshals, local sheriff’s deputies and local police on fraud-related charges. The woman allegedly rented properties to people that she did not own, using Craigslist ads to lure potential tenants.

According to arresting documents, the woman tricked four people into renting the same property, which she did not own. She made about $3,600 in security deposits and first-month rent checks from people. Reportedly, the people all showed up at the same time to the apartment on April 1 with the 37-year-old suspect nowhere to be found.

Because the woman has a history of arrests, she could face a harsher sentence if she is convicted on the four counts of obtaining money by false pretenses. At the time of her arrest, she was also wanted in another state and another South Carolina county.

Police say their investigation began when a man who allegedly fell for the ad complained to police. He said he originally wrote an $800 check, but when the woman kept making excuses for why he couldn’t move in, he asked for his money back. The check bounced.

The man who actually owns the property in question could not be reached. Was the woman perhaps following orders for him? There could be more to this story.

Source: The Post and Courier, “Fraud suspect nabbed in Summerville by police, Dorchester deputies, U.S. Marshals,” Glenn Smith, May 7, 2013