Real Estate Scammer Rips Off Apartment Hunters

The suspect in a rash of real estate scams in Corona, Elmhurst and Flushing. Photo courtesy of the NYPD.

By Christina Carrega

A real estate scammer is on the loose in Central Queens, targeting apartment-hunters and swiping their security deposits.

Police have warned residents of Corona, Elmhurst and Flushing about the suspect, who allegedly ghosted potential renters after he received thousands of dollars in security deposits.

From July 23 until Dec. 31, men and women aged 21 to 44 made appointments with a man to meet up at an address they hoped would become their home.

Each victim handed the man between $1850 and $2400 as a deposit but were unable to get in contact with him again, police said.

On four occasions, the alleged thief used the same address on 105th Street in Flushing. For three incidents, he misled customers to believe they were about to close on a rental apartment on 43rd Street in Elmhurst, police said.

In total, the suspect made off with more than $25,000 in cash from 11 victims, police said.

Police said the suspect wanted for questioning identifies himself as "Antonio", "Toni" "Patricio", "Emilio", "Tomas", "Alfredo", "Angel Dejesus" and "Jesus Parra.”