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As a recent UCSB graduate working two jobs, I have been searching for somewhere affordable for myself and my two roommates to live. In finding what I thought to be a perfect, affordable condo, I ended up being the victim of an ongoing internet scam through a false AirBnB website. I lost $1,780 dollars of not only my own money, but also my roommate's; I have exhausted all resources in recovering the stolen funds. AirBnB can't help me, my bank can't help me, I've even gone as far as contacting the FBI, as they already have an open case for these same scammers. If I do not recover these funds, not only will myself and the people I care about be out of a large sum of money, but it will make it nearly impossible for us to put a security deposit down on a real apartment. We only have three weeks until our current lease ends. I've never asked anyone for help before, but to be honest, I've got nowhere else to turn. This GoFundMe is my best shot at recovering what was lost, and keeping a roof over our heads.
The scam I fell for was no Nigerian prince, this was a skilled internet scammer who knew exactly what they were doing. They stole the identity of a reputable source, the Secretary of Labor for the state of Delaware, Cerron Cade, and presented the condo as a place this person had bought for their daughter who was a college student like ourselves. The pictures of the place were unbelievable, and the price was really affordable for a 2 bedroom home in Santa Barbara. It was 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 parking spots, pets were allowed, no strict policies; It was so perfect that I was overwhelmed with excitement . It was a deal that was too good to be true, but I believed that there were honest people who weren't trying to profit off of broke college students, and I pursued the listing.
I was contacted by email and given more information about the condo. I was then told that a security deposit was required before viewing the condo, but that it would be fully refundable if I did not like the condo upon viewing. I found this to be an unusual way of doing things, but I figured they were interested in only serious inquiries, and I was very seriously needed this place considering the time sensitive nature of my housing search. The email then led me to what was called "AirBnB long lease" which was a website that any untrained eye would fully believe was the official website. I myself have used AirBnB countless times, and I had no doubts at all. This AirBnB website had a chat support that then led me through a series of steps for making the payment. At every turn where I questioned their methods, they had a convincing answer that would calm my suspicion.
They took me step by step through an off site payment method where I essentially put $1,780 into their wallet. At this point I believed everything was set, but as the scammer began to stumble over their own story, I became incredibly suspicious.
They told me I would in fact owe twice the cost of one month's rent in order to view the apartment. I told the false AirBnB support that the false Cerron Cade had told me I only owed 1,780 before viewing the apartment, why would I pay $3,560 on a place I hadn't even seen? As they tried to explain that I would need to pay the other half without sufficient reasoning, I began to search the internet for these people to check the legitimacy of such a request. Sure enough, the AirBnB website was false.
I submitted a claim immediately with AirBnB, but their support told me that because it was not their actual website, they couldn't do anything for me. I then called my bank, and after hours on the phone with them, they told me they couldn't help me either. I submitted this case to my local law enforcement, even the FBI, and so far no one has been able to help me recover what I lost. I even called the office of the real person, Cerron Cade for help. I discovered there were other people who had fallen for the same trap as I had, and that there was an ongoing investigation of identity theft and internet crime with their local law enforcement and the FBI.
So, essentially, I am here because I have exhausted every resource and I am out of options. We have three weeks to move out of our apartment, and recovering ANY portion of what we lost would mean the world to me. Even the smallest amount would help lift this incredible burden from my shoulders, and if you can help out in any way, I will be eternally grateful.
Thank You,
Sydnee Rudolph
Note: About the Creator of the Campaign
The Creator of this fundraiser, Antony Mau, is the current and future roommate of Sydnee Rudolph. As a UCSB student from Hawai'i, I met Sydnee on campus and we decided to board together to reduce rent. The funds recieved from the campaign is jointly ours along with our other roommate Andrew Sulayao. The funds will be immediately put towards another security deposit with a trusted property management company with whom we have been approved to lease from.
The scam I fell for was no Nigerian prince, this was a skilled internet scammer who knew exactly what they were doing. They stole the identity of a reputable source, the Secretary of Labor for the state of Delaware, Cerron Cade, and presented the condo as a place this person had bought for their daughter who was a college student like ourselves. The pictures of the place were unbelievable, and the price was really affordable for a 2 bedroom home in Santa Barbara. It was 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 parking spots, pets were allowed, no strict policies; It was so perfect that I was overwhelmed with excitement . It was a deal that was too good to be true, but I believed that there were honest people who weren't trying to profit off of broke college students, and I pursued the listing.
I was contacted by email and given more information about the condo. I was then told that a security deposit was required before viewing the condo, but that it would be fully refundable if I did not like the condo upon viewing. I found this to be an unusual way of doing things, but I figured they were interested in only serious inquiries, and I was very seriously needed this place considering the time sensitive nature of my housing search. The email then led me to what was called "AirBnB long lease" which was a website that any untrained eye would fully believe was the official website. I myself have used AirBnB countless times, and I had no doubts at all. This AirBnB website had a chat support that then led me through a series of steps for making the payment. At every turn where I questioned their methods, they had a convincing answer that would calm my suspicion.
They took me step by step through an off site payment method where I essentially put $1,780 into their wallet. At this point I believed everything was set, but as the scammer began to stumble over their own story, I became incredibly suspicious.
They told me I would in fact owe twice the cost of one month's rent in order to view the apartment. I told the false AirBnB support that the false Cerron Cade had told me I only owed 1,780 before viewing the apartment, why would I pay $3,560 on a place I hadn't even seen? As they tried to explain that I would need to pay the other half without sufficient reasoning, I began to search the internet for these people to check the legitimacy of such a request. Sure enough, the AirBnB website was false.
I submitted a claim immediately with AirBnB, but their support told me that because it was not their actual website, they couldn't do anything for me. I then called my bank, and after hours on the phone with them, they told me they couldn't help me either. I submitted this case to my local law enforcement, even the FBI, and so far no one has been able to help me recover what I lost. I even called the office of the real person, Cerron Cade for help. I discovered there were other people who had fallen for the same trap as I had, and that there was an ongoing investigation of identity theft and internet crime with their local law enforcement and the FBI.
So, essentially, I am here because I have exhausted every resource and I am out of options. We have three weeks to move out of our apartment, and recovering ANY portion of what we lost would mean the world to me. Even the smallest amount would help lift this incredible burden from my shoulders, and if you can help out in any way, I will be eternally grateful.
Thank You,
Sydnee Rudolph
Note: About the Creator of the Campaign
The Creator of this fundraiser, Antony Mau, is the current and future roommate of Sydnee Rudolph. As a UCSB student from Hawai'i, I met Sydnee on campus and we decided to board together to reduce rent. The funds recieved from the campaign is jointly ours along with our other roommate Andrew Sulayao. The funds will be immediately put towards another security deposit with a trusted property management company with whom we have been approved to lease from.