Collingswood Couple Burned in Realty Scam

With only two months to go until their lease expired, a Collingswood couple who thought they were making a down payment on a new home ended up filing a police report instead.

According to Collingswood police, sometime between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1, the victims responded to a classified advertisement for distressed properties. They were contacted by a subject who identified himself as a representative from a company called Premiere Property Management.

The suspect sent them a list of properties for sale. They settled on one in Clementon, NJ, toured the home and decided to bid on it. Their contact told them their bid had been accepted, and met with them at their home to pick up a $2,000 check.

Later that week, the man indicated that he would need an additional $1,500 deposit, and met with them in person to pick that up, too. He told the couple that they would make settlement Nov. 30; he also indicated he had a moving truck available for them to use.

On Nov. 30, the couple got a call from their contact, telling them that the truck had broken down in Washington, DC, and that he was sending them a different truck. The couple contacted the listing agent on the property to talk about the delay. At that time, they were advised that the property had been sold to someone else, and that they had been scammed.

Collingswood police are currently investigating the case. They have identified a likely suspect, although no arrest has yet been made. Stay with Patch for more details.