A woman has been charged with stealing tens of thousands of dollars through an apartment rental scam in Manhattan.
Police say 33-year-old Jennifer Ricardo pretended to be a realtor and promised would-be renters apartments in a recently renovated Academy Street building.
They say she issued fake leases and gave out faulty keys in exchange for cash deposits.
Ricardo collected more than $24,000 before it was over.
Lawmakers say this is a larger issue.
"No one should give one cent to no individual because these individuals outside there are trying to take advantage of the dreams so many people or are trying to get affordable housing apartments," said City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez.
"Affordable housing is very scarce in the city so people are very often, they look at their family and they get anxious. And somebody like this lady Jennifer came and scammed them. And so we know there are other cases out there of other folks engaged in the same illicit activity and we tell them we're going to catch you," said state Senator Adriano Espaillat.
Police say Ricardo fled to the Dominican Republic but then returned to turn herself in.
She's charged with 10 separate counts of grand larceny and one count of scheme to defraud.