Family cheated by fake landlord in 'safer' NZ

Gabriel Pecchio, his wife, Karem Colmenares, and their daughter Gabriela. Photo / Natalie Slade

A Venezuelan couple who moved to New Zealand to raise their daughter in a safer country are among the victims of a property-fraud ring targeting prospective tenants in Auckland.

Police are hunting at least two men believed to be involved in the scam, which has netted at least 19 victims.

Believing they were moving to the "fantastic" new apartment in Mahuhu Cres, central Auckland, Karem Colmenares and her husband, Gabriel Pecchio, enrolled their daughter Gabriela, 2, at a new preschool closer to the new home.

In doing so, they lost her place in her previous preschool.

They viewed the apartment in April and, after replying to an advertisement on the internet, filled out an application form and called the man who said he was the landlord.

Then they found out he was one of two men police believe are working together on the scam.

The men, both Asian, rent apartments from property owners, then pretend they are the owners and lure prospective tenants to pay them bond and rent money in advance.

The man who conned the couple is described as Asian, aged 25 to 35, of chubby build with a round face and severe acne. He has braces on his teeth and wears glasses.

"We went to the apartment and he lived there," Ms Colmenares said. "His clothes and his shoes and everything were there. There was a woman sleeping in a bed. We liked the apartment so we decided to rent it."

She said the man was "kind" and acted in a professional manner.

"He was amazing. We went to the apartment with our 2-year-old daughter and he played with her."

Several days later, the "landlord" collected a $1600 bond (four weeks' rent) from them.

The pair, who are both studying for management diplomas, called the man two weeks later when they wanted to move their belongings into the apartment, but the phone number he had used had been turned off.

"So we went to the building and called the manager and he gave us the number of the owners of the apartment and we called and she said: 'Listen, you are the fifth person to call me today, so go to the police.' Then we went to the police."

Coincidentally, a teacher at Gabriela's former childcare centre was also a victim.

"She was cheated by these guys - and with the same apartment too. The same guy, the same apartment, the same amount of money - everything's the same."

Ms Colmenares said the experience had tarnished their new start in New Zealand and they were now less trusting of people.