The timing of the scams coincides with the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals. Cases against three defendants are pending
Nearly 80 victims lost in excess of $220,000 in rental deposits in what the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is describing as fraudulent real estate rental listings in online scams that coincide with the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals, according to a news release.googleoff: all
The victims sent deposits, typically by check or wire transfer, to reserve rentals and found “that the house they thought they rented was not actually for rent and the money they provided as a deposit was gone,” the release stated. Some victims came from as far as the East Coast or Canada.googleoff: all
The District Attorney's Office has charged three defendants in Indio and Riverside courts in incidents reported from 2013 to this year.googleoff: all
Would-be renters turned to Internet rental listing services and communicated with someone claiming to be the owner or the owner’s agent, paid five-figure rental sums and received rental contracts and information for accessing the house.googleoff: all
Online rental services do not always verify that the person making the listing is actually authorized to rent the home, setting up the opportunity for scam artists to prey on unsuspecting victims, according to the District Attorney’s Office.googleoff: all
The defendants, charged in separate criminal complaints with multiple counts of grand theft, are Daniel Moran, 47, of Hollywood Hills; Jian Gary Huang, 41, of San Francisco; and Robert Dennis Enriquez, 58.googleoff: all
Moran is accused of defrauding 15 victims out of $45,105.68 from December 2013 through March 2014, according to court records. In each case, the home was on Maurice Court in Rancho Mirage. The homeowners told a sheriff’s deputy that Moran had tried to rent the home and they had not given him permission to advertise the home as a rental.googleoff: all
When one would-be renter arrived at Palm Springs International Airport, Moran advised that prior tenants had a large party at the residence and the homeowners association had banned short-term rentals, according to an arrest warrant. The prospective renter was not reimbursed.googleoff: all
Investigators have linked at least 11 reports of real estate or rental fraud in La Quinta to Huang, with losses to victims in excess of $17,000, according to court records.googleoff: all
Enriquez signed a rental agreement for an Elkhorn Trail home in Indian Wells and tried to rent it out for music festival weekends in 2014, collecting over $55,600 from 23 separate groups, according to an arrest warrant. Once he got the money, communication with prospective renters ceased.googleoff: all
Complaints, especially from Temecula Wine Country and the Coachella Valley, prompted the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to ask county staff to draw up rules for party or vacation rentals, because of the impacts on neighbors. County spokesman Ray Smith said a draft proposal is expected to be presented to the board later this year.
Tips to avoid rental list scams
• Protect yourself by paying by credit card or check, instead of with cash or wire transfer
• If possible, pay in person at the property, not by mail
• Inspect property before renting and ask rental agent for identification
• Verify property owner's name, check for scams tied to that name and address
• Be suspicious of high up-front deposits
• Use reputable websites
• Use a local real estate agent, if possible. Otherwise, background check agents or property managers
SOURCE: Riverside County District Attorney's Office