Police say 6 victims file report of scam

Cops receive complaints of woman renting Rensselaer house she doesn’t own

City police are investigating a woman for allegedly attempting to rent a home to multiple people at the same time — and then keeping their security deposits when the deals inevitably fell through.

Police said Tuesday that six people have filed reports alleging Kimberly Rogers of 25 Lindbergh Ave. advertised her home for rent on Facebook pages, only to keep their money once they began questioning the circumstances surrounding the leases.

Rogers, who had not been charged as of late Tuesday afternoon, did not respond to requests for comment.

One of the first reports given to Rensselaer police about the alleged leasing scam was filed last month. By Monday, another victim had filed a complaint and posted a diatribe on Facebook about what allegedly happened to her; that post prompted another three alleged victims to file reports.

Rensselaer police patrolman Jeff Adams told the Times Union he took a report on one of the complaints Tuesday, but could not answer specific questions about the case. He confirmed there are six alleged victims so far, and that the case is being actively investigated.

Danielle Milano of Lansingburgh said she was the second person to file a complaint against Rogers when she went to Rensselaer police on Aug. 21.

Milano was suspicious after she called to schedule the power to be turned on at the rental for her Sept. 14 move-in date — only to find out from National Grid that

Rogers does not own the house and is renting it herself. Milano said Rogers then began avoiding meetings to return her $800 security deposit back — and eventually began claiming Milano was harassing her.

“It seems like it’s not a priority and (the Rensselaer police) are not doing anything to stop it,” Milano said Tuesday. She and her family were able to continue living in a rental owned by a relative after the deal soured.

When Teressa Westervelt of Johnsonville made her lengthy post on Facebook on Monday about how Rogers allegedly grifted her out of a $1,150 security deposit, commenters flooded her post claiming they had been wronged as well.

Westervelt — who is living with her mother, two children and husband — said she became suspicious when she saw that Rogers had provided two slightly different last names on her lease information.

“I feel like something should be done, because she’s scamming all these people,” Westervelt said.

Another apparent victim wrote on Westervelt’s Facebook page that he had also gone to Rensselaer police after Rogers would not return $200 he provided to “hold” the rental before he looked at it. He said in the post that Rogers returned it after police advised her to do so.

Police contacted the home’s actual owner, who told them that Rogers had been attempting to purchase the home but had not secured ownership.

Marisa Bowie of Rensselaer said she received a judgment in her favor in Rensselaer small claims court Tuesday after Rogers did not deliver a swing set that Bowie had paid $160 for in June. She said she will never get the money back, but wanted to file the court claim for “the principle of it.”

“I feel horrible she did this to these people,” said Bowie, who reached out to Westervelt after seeing her Facebook post. “(Rogers) keeps getting away it.”