3 Scammers Tried To Rent Out Apartments That Don't Exist In Culver City: PD

CULVER CITY, CA — An uptick in online apartment rental scams prompted police this week to ask the public's help in identifying three suspects who "rented" apartments that either don't exist or were not available for lease.

The cases occurred in July and August, in which victims responded to an apartment rental ad on Facebook, met a would-be owner or agent at a location in Culver City and exchanged cash for a rental agreement, according to the Culver City Police Department.

When the victim tried to enter the apartment they believed they had rented, the keys did not open the door and the person who took their money did not return messages, police said.

Some suspects used listings of apartments that are not for rent or may not even exist. Some used fake virtual tours, including some that copy genuine apartment ads, police said.

The three suspects were described as a 20-to-3o-year-old Hispanic woman with a heavy build and red hair who wore a pink jacket with lettering and gray shorts; a 20-to-30-year-old Black man and another woman, police said.

Police said apartment hunters should always verify contact details, ask questions about the property in person rather than through email, decline to make payments before meeting the landlord in person, research listings and use professional management companies.

Anyone with information about the scams is asked to contact Public Information Officer Jennifer Atenza at 310- 253-6120 or jennifer.atenza@culvercity.org, or the police watch commander at 310-253-6202.