A woman purportedly scammed several Uptown residents out of thousands of dollars when she promised them apartments in an affordable housing development in Inwood. Instead, she allegedly disappeared with their cash.
Jennifer Ricardo, 33, pretended to be a leasing agent and charged her “clients” between $2,000 and $3,000 to secure apartments at 552 Academy Street, according to DNAinfo. To pull off the alleged con, Ricardo is said to have created fake leases and gave out keys.
552 Academy Street in Inwood
Reportedly, Ricardo’s victims were all introduced to her through friends and family, the website reported. The affordable units at the building were only available through a public lottery. More than 50,000 people applied for the apartments.
The building was recently renovated with the help of a $22 million investment from the city. [DNAinfo] — Claire Moses