An Oakland Park mother says what started as a promising new home turned into a financial nightmare, leaving her out thousands of dollars, without an apartment and watching her family’s furniture get tossed out. The woman she accuses of running the rental scam has since been arrested, but the fallout for the victim and her two children is still unfolding.
Brendy Francis told NBC6 South Florida she handed over $6,300 in cash for what she believed were first month, last month and security deposits to a woman advertising apartments at La Estancia Apartments. Francis said the woman even walked her through the unit before taking the payment. When Francis tried to pay rent in April, she said the leasing manager told her a check connected to her move-in was fake and that the unit carried a balance of more than $5,000. According to Francis, the complex then refused to let her stay and staff removed and discarded her children’s beds, dressers and other furniture.
Online booking records show detectives arrested Harmony Fucien in May on multiple counts, including grand theft between $5,000 and $10,000, alleged fraudulent leasing of residential property and two counts of identity fraud, according to a Broward booking listing on Arrests.org. The booking record notes those charges carry potential felony exposure under Florida law.
How Rental Scams Typically Work
Rental rip-offs like the one Francis describes are not rare. A recent analysis by the Federal Trade Commission found that roughly 65,000 rental scams have been reported since 2020, with about $65 million in reported losses through June 2025. According to the FTC, scammers often pressure renters to pay fast, copy legitimate listings or pose as landlords or agents. The agency urges tenants to verify who actually owns a property, avoid paying with cash or wire transfers and report any suspected fraud.
Charges and Where the Case Stands
The Broward booking listing on Arrests.org ties Fucien’s arrest to Florida statutes covering grand theft, fraudulent leasing of residential property and illegal use of another person’s identification. Public booking data do not show whether prosecutors have filed formal indictments or set a court date…