JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman has a warning about what she calls a scam when she rented a home from a man who did not own it.
Amy Riesberg said she posted in a Facebook group that she needed a place in May and she said Rashaad Rice contacted her offering a home on Cherry Blossom Drive.
“I had been talking with the individual who had claimed to be the landlord and the owner,” said Riesberg. “And we had been talking on messenger, and I had been asking him questions about the place.”
She has screenshots of the messages. In one, Rice told her he was only asking for $1200 for a deposit and that it was fully refundable.
Riesberg then asked him if there was a fee prior to touring, and he said there was none.
“It seemed a little too good to be true so I proceeded with caution,” said Riesberg.
She said they met at the home for a tour, and the next day, he drew up the lease and she signed it.
But it was not until later on that same day that she said she realized she had been scammed.
“The realtor shows up, and she said ‘yeah, no, I don’t know who that was,’” said Riesberg. “How does somebody get into a house, pretend they are the landlord two days in a row, and this happens. I couldn’t believe it. And I was sick to my stomach. It was a terrible time in my life.”
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She says she immediately contacted JSO.
Riesberg gave police a picture of the suspect and his car which the report said helped JSO track him down.
“The suspect rented a property to the victim that he did not have legal right to,” the arrest report said.
They arrested him, and he pleaded guilty to making the fraudulent transaction.
According to another arrest report, it shows that in April the same thing happened to another man.
Riesberg wants others to know this so they don’t go through the same thing she did.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” said Riesberg. “Ask for pictures and ask for identifying information. Look them up. If you can, always use a realtor.”
Rice got three years probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $75 a month to each victim until the money is all paid back.
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