Four people have been charged with fraud for allegedly operating a fake rental agency and cheating 4,000 New Yorkers out of almost $1 million.
An undercover investigation by the state Attorney General’s office found the rental agency, Innovative Apartments and Screening Services, was advertising no-fee rental apartments on Craigslist.org.
For almost three years, the agency charged people $200 for credit and background checks that were never conducted, as well as access to exclusive listings for apartments that didn’t exist.
When customers complained and demanded refunds, the defendants, Nader Jaber, Igor Portnov, Brooke Corio and Boris Portnov, ignored requests, issued partial refund checks or refund checks that did not clear.
“By aggressively prosecuting disingenuous online brokers, we can ensure New Yorkers don’t waste their time and money by pursuing phony leads for apartments,” Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.