Family approaches homelessness after falling victim to rental scam in Aurora
A family new to Colorado is on the verge of homelessness after their rental house turned out to be a scam.
Phillip Rumple found the 4 bedroom home in Aurora on Craigslist, but he did everything he could to make sure the deal was legitimate.
He asked the landlord for proof of ownership. Rumple was sent documentation from property manager, Invitation Homes, confirming he owned it.
He submitted for background and credit checks.
He even made a trip to Colorado to see the home with a real estate agent before signing anything.
"We paid the application fee and the deposit. We signed the lease. It was wonderful. There was no red flag anywhere," said Rumple. "The only potential yellow flag is that he wanted the first deposit on Cash App and I told him no. I would rather pay on my business PayPal account because it's safer. There was no push back from him."
Rumple was given everything he needed to open the door and call it home.
As it turns out – he wasn't the only one.
"A woman named April came by with the exact same lease from the exact same person. She had paid too, and we found out that it was just one giant scam," said Rumple.
They learned Invitation Homes, which owns and manages over 80,000 properties nationwide, still owns the house.
"She called Invitation Homes and they don't know anything about Russel [the landlord]. I called Invitation Homes and I asked if they know Ronnie, the real estate agent. They don't," said Rumple.
Between leasing fees, deposits and moving expenses, Rumple has spent about $6,800 on a scam. The family was given 10 days to vacate the home before they'd be evicted.
"I'm frustrated and I'm upset with Invitation Homes for treating us like criminals, but we're not criminals." said Rumple. "I get they're victims too because this is their home and they want to rent it, but at least work with us. This would ruin our credit."
The employee at Invitation Homes told Rumple they've seen other people fall victim to similar scams.
"They said we can't help you get your money back because we're not the ones who took it. They said they were talking to directors about legal action," said Rumple.
Rumple has filed a report with police.
He's not sure what his family is going to do, but he knows he doesn't want another one to go through this.
"I have $100 left to my name right now," said Rumple. "I'm broke and homeless in Colorado. Until I can actually raise money to get out of here, there's nothing I can do."
Rumple has already called his bank to report the fraud and start the process of charge backs, but it's going to take several months for the bank to investigate. He's created a GoFundMe to help with expenses.
CBS News Colorado reached out to Invitation Homes for comment and hadn't heard back as of Sunday evening.
