Law enforcement is investigating a scam in Louisiana where a hacker is allegedly stealing realtors’ identities to post fraudulent rental listings and defraud renters out of thousands of dollars.
Realtor Daniel Baptiste said he became suspicious when he received notifications about house showings scheduled under his name that he had not arranged.
“I noticed, I’m like, wait, this has nothing I had scheduled, and it was all over Louisiana, from Baton Rouge to Lafayette to like Port Sulphur. I’m like, what is this,” Baptiste said.
Baptiste later discovered that homes listed for sale under his name on Zillow had been changed to rental listings, but with a different phone number.
“I called my brokerage because I have a coach by being a new agent, so I expressed to her like what’s going on with this, and she said this is unheard of, I’ve never witnessed this before,” Baptiste said.
The alleged scammer also targeted renters like Siearra Perio, who said she lost $1,328 in the scheme.
Perio said the hacker appeared legitimate during their text conversations, providing her with key box combinations and detailed information about homes on the market. When she found a property she liked, the hacker, using the name “David,” requested an application fee and the first month’s rent.
“He kept asking me about sending the money. The board, he said, needed the money today. I can’t just throw 200 dollars out there,” Perio said, referring to an additional $200 the hacker requested.
After completing her payments, Perio said the hacker promised his wife would meet her to hand over the key, but the wife never showed. She later saw the home listed for sale on Zillow under a different realtor’s name.
When Perio confronted the scammer over the phone, she said his response was dismissive.
“You scammed us. His response was ‘oh really?’ and hung up the phone. After that, I called back, couldn’t get in touch with him again,” Perio said.
Both Baptiste and Perio reported the incidents to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the New Orleans Police Department. Authorities are working to obtain warrants from payment platforms Chime and Zelle to recover the stolen funds.
Baptiste, who is also a firefighter building his real estate profile, said he hopes justice will be served and shared a message for the hacker.
“If you’re gonna take something from me, take it from my face, don’t take it from the Internet. Come to me and take my name,” Baptiste said.
NOPD and JPSO confirmed they are in contact with the victims and conducting a thorough investigation. Authorities urge anyone who may have fallen victim to this scam to contact their local law enforcement agency.
READ MORE: Louisiana renters scammed by hacker posing as realtors
