NEWARK, NJ – If you answered a Facebook Marketplace advertisement for an apartment rental in Newark, police want residents to be aware of an ongoing rental scam.
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé has asked for the public’s assistance in identifying two suspects involved in rental scams.
The suspects reportedly deceived their victims by claiming to be legally renting an apartment. The incidents involved a fourth-floor apartment, number eight, at 191-193 Roseville Avenue. The victims responded to a rental advertisement on Facebook Marketplace, and each paid the suspects $4,875.
The first victim and their roommate met the suspect wearing a hooded sweatshirt on March 30, 2023, at around 10:30 AM. They gave him the down payment, but when the keys to the apartment did not work a few days later, they were unable to reach the suspect. The suspect is described as a Black male, around 20 to 30 years old, 5’7” or 5’9,” and weighing around 180 pounds. He was wearing an army green hooded sweater, a beige or yellow coat, blue ripped jeans, and brown boots. He had a short haircut and a beard.
The second suspect received the remainder of the down payment for the same apartment on Roseville Avenue on April 24, 2023, at around 6:30 PM.
The keys that the victim received did not work the following day, and when the victim attempted to contact the suspect, they discovered that his phone and Facebook Marketplace page had been deactivated.
The suspect is described as a Black male, around 32 to 35 years old, 5’9” to 5’11, and weighing around 170 pounds. He was wearing a brown shirt, blue jeans, and brown boots. He also had a short haircut and a beard.
Anyone who recognizes the suspects or has any information about the incidents is urged to contact the Newark Police Department.