A social media account that illegally posts unoccupied properties for rent as part of a “squatting” scam has been linked to at least two Baltimore County homes within the past week, and another in Baltimore City several weeks earlier.
On Thursday, Baltimore County Police were called to a property in Middle River, just after 8:30 p.m., according to dispatch audio reviewed by Spotlight on Maryland. A report from the incident said officers were greeted by a maintenance worker from the property management company responsible for maintaining the house.
“[The worker said] a realtor attempted to show the property to a prospective renter when he noticed shavings on the ground of the front door entrance, the lockbox to the property missing, and the locks changed,” the BCPD report said.
Officers “observed signs of forced entry to the basement door entrance,” a split door frame and damage that was “consistent with the door being forcibly opened.”
“Upon entering the upstairs level of the residence, the officers located a female subject … in the upstairs bedroom with two small children,” the BCPD report said. “[The woman] advised that she was not listed on the lease and that [her partner] had all the information regarding their arrangement to stay at the property.”
According to the police report, the male occupant provided police with a signed leasing document titled “Squatters Lease Agreement Addendum” and said he had made a one-time payment of $1,500 to a woman he met via social media.
“[The occupants said they] had met a woman…on Instagram who advised them that she could provide them with a home in any area that they wanted,” the BCPD report said. “[The male occupant] advised that he gave the individual a zip code, and she stated that she would get them housing in the next few days.”
The name of the social media user account provided by the Middle River occupants to the police is the same one that allegedly unauthorized occupants, or squatters, provided to Spotlight on Maryland during interviews at a property on Friday in Windsor Mill and two weeks ago in Baltimore City.
State Del. Ryan Nawrocki, a Baltimore County Republican, said he was alarmed by the connection.
“We’re not just talking about someone who is doing this just one time,” Nawrocki said. “We have people who are doing this time and time again, and we know who they are. It’s no different than any other criminal network that we would normally hold very seriously accountable.”
Spotlight on Maryland reviewed a copy of the lease agreement that the Middle River occupants provided to BCPD. The one-page agreement states it “shall form an integral part of the Squatter Lease (‘Lease) for the premises described herein.”
“One-Time Fee: The Tenant agrees to pay a one-time fee of $1,500 for the lease of the property. No recurring rent or additional rental charges shall be imposed,” the squatter lease said. “Securing the Premises: The Retainer shall take all necessary steps to secure the property, including changing all locks on the premises.”
Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger told Spotlight on Maryland in Towson on Tuesday morning that his office is “seeing so much of it now and it seems to be everywhere,” referring to online scamming and individuals profiting off of squatting.
“It has come up again where a person will locate an empty property, they will put together a pretend lease, they will pretend to rent the property,” Shellenberger said. “You have a victim in terms of an innocent person who will sign a lease, who is getting ripped off of cash, but you also have a victim [in] the property owner, who is being deprived of their property to be able to rent it out.”
The county’s chief prosecutor emphasized the importance of individuals doing their homework before signing leases online or trusting sales through social media. Shellenberger added that criminals are actively finding creative ways to commit crimes that many states lack laws to address, and law enforcement is forced to “react the way we can.”
Not specifically referencing the known alleged squatter cases, Spotlight on Maryland asked Shellenberger if his office intends to hold accountable those who commit economic crimes for their actions.
“Sure, we will prosecute them,” Shellenberger said. “One of the main goals in economic crimes is to get restitution to those who have lost out on money. That can be a condition of the probation, and depending on the seriousness, there could be jail time involved.”
Meanwhile, BCPD officers said that the Middle River occupants, like others Spotlight on Maryland has spoken to, would not provide any identifying information for the female subject who “fraudulently provided … the rental documents.”
“It should be noted that [the male occupant] admitted that he knew he would be squatting at the location as the individual he obtained the lease from notified him of the property’s current ownership,” the police report said. “[The male occupant] advised that the individual stated to him that she would have a locksmith arrive at the property and change the locks for him to gain access to the home.”
“[The male occupant] further advised that the individual stated to him that the homeowner would eventually show up at the property, at which point he would have the option to, ‘work something out with them.’ [The male occupant] advised that he knew the agreement was fraudulent and that what he was doing was wrong, but stated that he had no other choice.”
The property owner, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Pete, told Spotlight on Maryland on Tuesday afternoon that the occupants demanded $5,000 to move out of the home where they purportedly are unauthorized to reside.
Spotlight on Maryland is a partnership between The Baltimore Sun and FOX45. Have a news tip? Contact Gary Collins at [email protected].