FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fort Myers Police arrested a woman accused of putting her mother's apartment on Facebook Marketplace. The problem is her mother was being evicted and it wasn't the daughter's property.
Police say three weeks ago, a victim contacted them after unsuccessfully trying to move furniture inside a recently rented apartment on Royal Palm Avenue.
After paying $1,200 cash and receiving a key to the apartment, police say the victim was alerted by neighbors that the existing tenant was in the eviction process and the apartment was not actually for rent.
An investigation by FMPD determined that Jasmine Everett had used a fake profile on Facebook Marketplace to rent out her mother’s Fort Myers apartment.
Everett was found near the apartment on December 22 and taken to the Lee County Jail.
She's charged with Fraud-Swindle-Obtain Property under $20,000.
FMPD offers these tips for prospective renters:
- Scams may include listings that aren't real or properties that are not actually for rent.
- Be aware of ads offering eye-opening amenities or deals that seem too good to be true.
- Try to match rental property addresses with rental companies via online searches; look for inconsistencies.
- Check rental company's websites to confirm validity of available properties.
