6 families left homeless after scammer rents them all foreclosed home
Dec 2, 2014, 5:21 PM | Updated: 6:03 pm
(Pierce County Sheriff's Department)
At least six families are scrambling to find a new place to live after a scammer rented all of them a foreclosed Puyallup home.
The six families all showed up at the house Monday expecting to move in after paying a cash deposit of at least $2,000, says Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Ed Troyer.
The suspect, Manda Anderson, is accused of posting an ad on Craigslist advertising the house for rent on 139th Ave. Ct. E.
Each of the six families toured the house with Anderson, who claimed to be the homeowner. They all filled out an application, paid the deposit and agreed to move in December 1st.
“One even gave her an extra $500 pet deposit,” Troyer says.
All of the families showed up Monday to find they couldn’t get in the house or get in contact with the supposed homeowner. They subsequently learned from neighbors the house was actually in foreclosure.
Suspect Manda Anderson is a white female, 38 years old, 5’9″ tall, 230 lbs., with brown hair and green eyes. She is known to also use the names “Lynn Anderson” and “Manda Miller”. A reward of up to $1000 is being offered by Crime Stoppers for information leading to Anderson’s arrest.
Troyer says there is an unrelated active felony warrant for Anderson’s arrest for Theft in the 2nd degree.
“We’re guessing she knows we’re looking for her. There’s no way she’s getting away with this,” he says.