Hi everyone, my name is Barbara and I’m putting this together for my dad.

A few weeks ago I posted in the Ojai Housing group trying to help him find a rental. So many people reached out and we were feeling really hopeful about it.

Unfortunately, one of those responses ended up being a scam.

My dad had been sick during this time and was a little slower getting back to some of the legit options. This person stayed in touch with him and gained his trust, and he ended up sending $2,700 through Cash App for what was supposed to be first month and a deposit. It was tied to an actual listing on Zillow, and he even went and walked the property. He just never saw the inside.

Then on April 1st (his move-in day), they told him he needed to send another $1,700 before getting the keys. That’s when he called me and I immediately knew something wasn’t right.

I tried stepping in at that point, but they stopped responding. I went back to the housing group and found out that the same number has been used to scam other people too, even in different states.

We’ve reported it, but the money is gone.

Honestly, I wish I had slowed down and helped vet things more instead of just passing along info. It’s just a really upsetting situation all around.

My dad is a senior, still working full-time here in the community, and this really hit him hard. I’m just trying to help him recover some of what he lost so he can move forward and find a real place.

If you feel like helping in any way, we are so incredibly grateful. And even just sharing this means a lot.

Thank you