Scam Type
Rental Scam
Business Name Used
Apartment Rental Scam
Date Reported
January 26, 2024
Postal Code
87120
Total Dollars Lost
$ 0
Scam Description
I am a traveling nurse and was looking for housing in Palo Alto California. I was messaged by Sheena Harkness about a potential rental at 200 Sheridan Ave Palo Alto California 94306. I sent in a rental application with my DOB, previous employer, home address and driver license number. They did ask for my SSN but I did not provided that information. Today 1/25/24 I received an email from novahomesrental@gmail.com about being approved for the rental and that I needed to send 3,300 dollars for Down deposit first month rent and application fee. The options of payment they gave me was direct deposit Apple Pay Zelle google pay cash app or a wire transfer. I asked Sheena Harkness to FaceTime or phone call me to verify who she was but she said that was impossible and I could visit https://novahomerentals.com for verification. This website does not have her realtor license number. So when I asked Sheena Harkness for her license number, she told me to refer to the website and I should look elsewhere for housing.
