Richmond man claims he lost more than $400 in rental scam
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A Richmond man claims he was scammed out of more than $400 after a rental scam. Richmond police are now looking for the person he says is responsible.
Emmanuel Pierre-Louis told 8News he started his apartment hunt in the summer of 2024. After little luck, he said he almost gave up on the search. That is, until he received a Facebook message from a woman by the name of Destiny Jackson, who offered him a place to stay at a Richmond property she said she owned on West Leigh Street.
“She let me know that she had a place available if I was interested. I had time, so I said, 'Sure, let me go see the place," Pierre-Louis said.
After visiting the property, Pierre-Louis said he didn't notice any red flags about Jackson or the property.
“From what I understood, she was really lenient on financing credit," Pierre-Louis said.
Pierre-Louis agreed to pay Jackson $440 biweekly to live in the unit; however, after making his first payment via Cashapp and preparing for his move, he said he learned Jackson actually did not own the property.
8News spoke with the real property owner, who said Jackson lived at the property at one point. The property owner said they were not initially aware Jackson was trying to lease the property.
Richmond Police told 8News a warrant has been issued for Jackson. She is facing charges for obtaining money by false pretense.
The Better Business Bureau shares these tips to prevent you from falling victim to a rental scam:
- Do your research
- Look out for lower-than-usual prices
- Visit the property in person
- Verify the property owners' information
- Be cautious about credit check websites
The bureau provides more information on similar scams on its website.
