A California woman pleaded guilty for repeatedly engaging in rental housing fraud.
Jenifer Singh, also known as Jenifer Rios, placed fliers at a Thousand Oaks laundromat in December 2023 advertising a home for rent in Simi Valley. A local family called the phone number on the flier and spoke to Singh, who said she had authorization to lease the home. One month later, the family paid Singh a $2,500 cash deposit to rent the property. However, Singh had no connection to the property. The family never occupied the property and Singh never refunded their money.
In March 2024, Singh placed a post on Facebook Marketplace advertising the same Simi Valley home for rent. A Simi Valley family contacted Singh through the advertisement and paid $3,000 in a cash deposit for the property. Soon thereafter, Singh received an additional $1,000 in cash from the same victim claiming she needed a medical procedure. As with the first scam, Singh had no connection to the property while her defrauded victims never received occupancy nor a refund.
Singh was arrested last December at the Newark Airport while attempting to board a flight to Paris. She pleaded guilty to two felony counts of grand theft of personal property and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26, when she faces up to three years and eight months in jail.
The monies she stole are small but the pain she caused was great. Two persons or families looking for shelter and all that they go thru to obtain it when it is snatched away and lose their deposits. That is stress to the max! Its so shameful that people can do this to one another. Glad she’s caught, tried and convicted.