Multiple families forked over thousands of dollars to rent the same house in Bradenton.
Better Call Behnken uncovered the fraud earlier this week and more victims have stepped forward.
Jacqui Krueger and her husband signed a rental agreement and paid more than $3,140. It was when they showed up to move in on Wednesday that they discovered that the would-be landlords scammed them.
“They were fine. Calm, normal, relatable,” Krueger said.
Krueger and her family, including their 10-year-old son, were crushed. They had been excited to leave their small apartment.
“The house is right down from a good fishing spot, so Preston was looking forward to doing some fishing and kind of having a yard again,” Krueger said. “It was exciting, until it wasn’t.”
Earlier this week, it was Megan Hickman stepping forward to share her story. Her family, including four children, were scammed out $4,500.
Their story is different than the rest of the victims, however. Since they moved in, first the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office advised them to stay, until someone evicts them.
Then, in another strange twist of events, the mother of one of the “landlords” stepped forward to say she owns the home.
Apparently, the mother and daughter are in a legal battle over the home. The mother tells Better Call Behnken that she believes her daughter used this scam as a way to make a lot of money quickly on the house.
Hickman says at least seven other families have showed up this week.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the landlords.
