Imagine being a young couple, moving out of your parents home for the first time and into a rental. Then, you’re accused of being a squatter.
That’s what happened to a Lehigh Acres couple who moved into a home, not knowing they were victims of a scam.
WATCH SENIOR REPORTER KAITLIN KNAPP’S REPORT BELOW TO SEE HOW IT HAPPENED:
“Nothing can prepare you for that moment,” said Angira Lopez. “He [the realtor] let us know we were scammed and that the police were on the way.”
Lopez and her boyfriend Joshua were scammed out of $2,650.
“Just thinking back makes me emotional. I didn’t believe it was true,” Lopez said.
The scam was pretty calculated. She found an ad on Craigslist for a rental, and got in contact with the landlord to check it out.
When they got to the home, the “landlord” wasn’t there, so they called him.
“He said no I’m not here, but I’ll give you the code to the lock box,” Lopez said.
The landlord walked them through the home over the phone, and Lopez said he knew it well.