Victim Location 98260
Total money lost $2,300
Type of a scam Rental
The scammer set up a Craigslist ad for a rental apartment in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. The address given for the rental was 647 NW 89th St, Seattle, WA 98117. In the ad and subsequent emails, the scammer was articulate (good grammar and spelling) and had detailed information about the rental. The scammer said it would not be possible to see the inside of the apartment due to current residents and COVID19, but I went to the address and saw the outside of the apartment, which seemed to match both the interior and exterior photos he sent. The scammer sent a detailed rental application and then a lease agreement, on which I wrote my address and driver’s license number. The scammer requested the first month’s rent and a security deposit via Zelle. The Zelle payment was made to an email address that I later realized belonged to someone claiming the name Brinty Ross. I later emailed this person, who denied receiving any money or being involved in the scam. After receiving money via Zelle, "Kevin Ladenburg" stopped answering emails and phone calls.