Said I have a hard hearing and can only text for now when Alison Simon read that email, she knew something wasn't right. I felt it was a red flag. But then I said, ok, my son is disabled. I don't want to d anyone Simon had been searching for an apartment for her 33 year old son who is transitioning from assisted to independent living. It kind of played on me and I know my son has been going through this disability and I said, well, ok, he has a disability. I can, I'll trust him. Simon found this apartment on Craigslist for rent and started the process to rent it out. A person by the name of Leslie Frank is who Simon thought she was communicating with. He sent her a lease and even had her wire $3700 for the first month's rent and security deposit. He said my CPA advised me that you should wire the money. He said, I know I give you other options. But in talking to her, she said, wiring the money would be best not long after the money was sent, Frank demanded more money. Unfortunately, Simon's situation isn't unique. It doesn't surprise me at all. According to the FTC in 2023 consumers across the country reported losing more than 10 billion dollars to fraud. It can happen to anyone. Bill Palace is a managing broker at Windermere real estate and is the listing agent for the apartment Simon was hoping to rent. He says the scammer used the photos posted for the sale listing in the Craigslist ad and took advantage of Simon's situation. She desperately wanted a place for her son and, and emotion oftentimes takes the place of, you know, common sense and reason and we want to trust. Pala says if at any point, something feels off in a real estate deal, it probably is if you can't meet with the person, shake their hand, see their face, see what you're buying. That's, that's reason for concern. Simon filed reports with Seattle police, the FBI and the FTC. But at this point, the family is still out thousands of dollars and her son is without a home. I told my son you will get justice, we will. Simon says that her son has to stay in a hotel for now until they can find a place for him to live. Reporting in Seattle Bridget Chavez King. Five news.