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POCOMOKE CITY, Md. - A mother is on the brink of homelessness after she was allegedly scammed on the popular website Craigslist. It is an online classified site, billions log on to find just about anything.
Including Mindy Page. The mother of four was searching for a rental house and found an offer on Craigslist that sounded too good to refuse. "He had an ad on Craigslist for a nonprofit organization that had foreclosed on houses. I was very interested because it was a huge house and it was very cheap," said Page.
Page says the man behind the deal was Robert Austera. He allegedly promised Page she could move into a house in Pocomoke City for just $590 a month. Mindy Page said once she met with Austera she signed a lease to move into a house on Laurel Street.
She says he even gave her a set of keys, and told her if she put in a little sweat equity she would actually get the first month rent for free.
Police say Austera was hired by several property owners to make repairs on homes that were inhabitable, but was never authorized to rent them out. While he hasn't been charged in the case involving Mindy Page, he has been charged in a similar case. Police say they are also investigating five other cases.
"He seemed like he cared, like he was honestly going to get the house together. I gave him a $600 deposit on the house and started working on it," said Page. It was the last few dollars Mindy had. Left penniless the mother is now trying to find help. In hours she will be left with nowhere to call home, but the streets of Salisbury. "What do I tell my kids letting them down, and the baby. What would happen to the newborn," asked Page with tears in her eyes.
Austera's arrest in another case brings little comfort to Page, who is trying to protect her children. "I don't want to loose my kids that's all I have," said Page in uncontrollable tears.
Mindy currently lives in Salisbury and has to move out of her home on Smith Street on Thursday. She says she has looked into several shelters, but her family size is too large to fit in one room.
The investigation into Austera continues. Victims are asked to call Pocomoke City Police at 410-957-1600.
VIA: WMDT47
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. - A mother is on the brink of homelessness after she was allegedly scammed on the popular website Craigslist. It is an online classified site, billions log on to find just about anything.
Including Mindy Page. The mother of four was searching for a rental house and found an offer on Craigslist that sounded too good to refuse. "He had an ad on Craigslist for a nonprofit organization that had foreclosed on houses. I was very interested because it was a huge house and it was very cheap," said Page.
Page says the man behind the deal was Robert Austera. He allegedly promised Page she could move into a house in Pocomoke City for just $590 a month. Mindy Page said once she met with Austera she signed a lease to move into a house on Laurel Street.
She says he even gave her a set of keys, and told her if she put in a little sweat equity she would actually get the first month rent for free.
Police say Austera was hired by several property owners to make repairs on homes that were inhabitable, but was never authorized to rent them out. While he hasn't been charged in the case involving Mindy Page, he has been charged in a similar case. Police say they are also investigating five other cases.
"He seemed like he cared, like he was honestly going to get the house together. I gave him a $600 deposit on the house and started working on it," said Page. It was the last few dollars Mindy had. Left penniless the mother is now trying to find help. In hours she will be left with nowhere to call home, but the streets of Salisbury. "What do I tell my kids letting them down, and the baby. What would happen to the newborn," asked Page with tears in her eyes.
Austera's arrest in another case brings little comfort to Page, who is trying to protect her children. "I don't want to loose my kids that's all I have," said Page in uncontrollable tears.
Mindy currently lives in Salisbury and has to move out of her home on Smith Street on Thursday. She says she has looked into several shelters, but her family size is too large to fit in one room.
The investigation into Austera continues. Victims are asked to call Pocomoke City Police at 410-957-1600.
VIA: WMDT47
I wonder if this is the same person that has his name on the internet as a bail bondsman?
ReplyDeleteThere is a list of landlords available at city hall.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean "Mindee" Page 4:06? I'm not so sure this is a true story and not some other kind of scam.
ReplyDeleteI posted an article to our blog recently about some of the scammer tactics on Craigslist. It's a problem that's not going to go away.
ReplyDeletethis if you google his name you will find out that he has a criminal history he is taking many families of missing loved ones for money claiming that he works for the families when they have no association with me is not a private investigator nor is he a bounty hunter he is been turned into the police department along with the FBI he sets up multiple sites he also has set up multiple GoFundMe accounts and has scammed from them if you google Robert Austera you will see that he has a long history of criminal scamming as a advocate for families of missing loved one's I have exposed him all over Facebook and each new site that he created I exposed it also
ReplyDelete