Couple scammed out of $500 deposit on rental house
Kimberley Duguay says she thought everything was OK since MHRA was the one providing them with the listings. However, she said they were duped as well because all of the documents – the lease agreement, receipt for holding fee, etc. – appeared to be in order.
MANCHESTER, NH – After waiting 3 ½ years to get approval for a housing voucher, Kimberley Duguay got to work finding a new home for her and husband, Lyle Bergeron.
Since last December, he has suffered four heart attacks and the trek up three flights of stairs to their rented room in a four-room apartment is too much of a strain on him.
With a list in hand of available properties for rent, compiled by the Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Duguay, 40, found a two-bedroom house for rent at 428 Mast Road.
The contact was listed as Peter Maitland with a phone number of 703-410-6158. Duguay was in touch with him on a daily basis through texts and emails, but never in person. The $1,843 monthly rent was within the couple’s allotment although they had to pay utilities. Her MHRA case manager said she would talk to him about that.
“One red flag is he never returned her call,” Duguay said.
Still, Duguay and Belanger paid him $100 – $50 each for an application fee which covered a background check – and $400 for a holding fee, which was refundable and would go toward the security deposit once the lease was signed. The money was sent through an app.
The application was emailed to them, Duguay filled it out and sent it back. It was accepted and they received approval to rent the property from MHRA.
But they never toured the house in person and only saw it through online photos which revealed empty rooms. The “owner” put them off for a few days, saying he wasn’t a Realtor, and had things to do. The tour was set for Aug. 20, when they were to sign the lease and obtain the keys to the house.
That morning Duguay sent a series of texts to the number which turned out be in Viriginia:
“Good morning I hope it’s not too early to text but I was wondering if we could meet at 12:00 instead of 9. I had to work a double and just got out.”
Getting no reply, she texted:
“Are you there?”
Still nothing, she texted:
“OK we will just keep the regular scheduled time today at 9:00
We are on our way.”
No one met them at the house. They peeked inside the windows and saw that someone was living there.
“Garbage bags were at the door, as if the person was ready to take them out,” Belanger said.
It was only then they realized they’d been scammed.
According to an online assessing database, Peter Maitland is the owner of the property. He purchased the two-bedroom home in February 2024 for $400,000. Ink Link went to the residence to talk with the owner on Monday but no one answered the door.
Duguay notified MHRA that day and, earlier this month, filed a theft report with the Manchester Police Department.
“The report has been assigned to our fraud detective and it is under investigation,” said Heather Hamel, public information officer, in an email.
“We are not aware of any other recent rental scams, however this type of scam is not new. Our advice is to not send money to anyone if you have not met with them and viewed the property in person.”
Duguay said MHRA updates its rental listings every two weeks. The one compiled after she notified MHRA she had been scammed carried this disclaimer:
“Do not send money for deposits, applications or holding fees unless you have physically visited the unit you are interested in renting. Do not pay via gift cards or Apple pay. Rental information is verified to the best of our ability, please be aware that scams do exist despite this. Persons using this list are encourage to do their own research.”
Ink Link reached out to Catherine Naczas, MHRA executive director, but as of our publication deadline, received no response.
Duguay says she thought everything was OK since MHRA was the one providing them with the listings. However, she said they were duped as well because all of the documents – the lease agreement, receipt for holding fee, etc. – appeared to be in order.
Duguay continued her search for a new place and again came across the 703-410-6158 number in another rental listing. She gave that information to police as well.
Since then, the couple has found another place to live but they are still out their $500. Police, Duguay said, told them it is unlikely they will ever recover the money.
Belanger, 52, said he is borrowing money from his elderly parents to try to cover the security deposit and other expenses. To help recoup the funds, they have established a GoFundMe.