Police seek alleged Hell's Kitchen rental scammer who stole thousands from prospective tenants
HELL'S KITCHEN, Manhattan (WABC) -- Aspiring model Miguel Márchese is one of millions who have made their way to New York City with a suitcase and a dream.
However, the "gold mine" Hell's Kitchen two-bedroom apartment Márchese found on Facebook -- and toured twice -- was simply too good to be true.
An alleged rental scammer cost him and at least eight other prospective renters thousands of dollars, Márchese told Eyewitness News.
Márchese and others are fighting back by calling attention to the scam over social media.
"We have a huge group chat called 'We've Been Scammed,' and there's nine of us so far," Márchese said.
Márchese visited the $3,200 two-bedroom apartment at 334 West 47th Street, where he said alleged scammer Nicholas Fuelling tried to build an emotional rapport as he showed the apartment.
"He asked me a lot of questions about myself ... when he first moved to New York City ... someone just opened the door for him and gave him a good housing opportunity," Márchese said of Fuelling's supposed efforts to soften his suspicions at the good deal.
There were some red flags.
"He was always on his phone. He always seemed distracted when I was trying to talk to him," Márchese said.
Márchese also noticed some girls looking to tour the place after he'd already paid $6,400 via Cash App -- but Fuelling appeared honest to Márchese.
"I checked his Instagram ... he was a legit person. He sent me a real lease on DocuSign ... I had his ID ... his address, the terms of the lease," Márchese said.
Plus, there was a ready explanation for everything: "I brought it up to him, and he simply said, 'Oh, I forgot to cancel the showing.' And so I believed him in that moment."
Everything came crashing down after Márchese began his hunt for a roommate.
"A girl named Maria, bless her soul, she messaged me, and she was like, 'I think there's a misunderstanding. I just signed the lease for this place, and I paid him $6,400,'" Márchese said. "I knew then that we were (expletive) scammed."
And they weren't alone: "Every few days, there was another person who signed the lease and paid all the money."
Eyewitness News also spoke with Maria and another woman, Nathalia, over the phone.
The two shared a similar story, catching onto the scam when they noticed the apartment still listed on Facebook after they'd already paid.
"He told us that he lived there for eight years so that's why he can keep the price the same," Maria Cordeiro said.
"It was for $3,200 for a two-bedroom in Hell's Kitchen and at first I thought that was a little bit interesting. The price was so low but gold mines do exist," Márchese said.
Something seemed off to Nathalia Matias.
So she asked for the man's driver's license and he provided it. She was able to confirm it was real, yet after paying him, the place was still listed.
He told Cardeiro it was a misunderstanding.
They had their friends pretend to be interested in the listing, which is how they determined that Fuelling was supposedly still showing the apartment that was supposed to be rented out to them.
"We kind of like played detective. Let's just see if he forgot about it or something. But like three of our friends asked, 'Hey is it still available?' And he was like, 'Yes do you wanna go see like today, tomorrow?'" Cardeiro said.
"People would show up to the apartment, and (someone in the group) would just message us and be like, 'Hey, here's two other victims. I'm gonna send them your way," Márchese said.
Fuelling had access to the unit and the keys because it was his apartment.
He claimed he suddenly got a new job and was looking to sublet the unit in a rush.
Márchese headed to the police station once he understood he'd been duped.
"I did not leave until I got that case number," he said. "This man needs to be caught ... he's destroying our lives, our housing stability. Some of us don't have means; I'm fully independent, I don't have parents around."
Police are actively looking for 43-year-old Nicholas Fuelling in connection with grand larceny.
The alleged victims say there are at least six others that they know of.
Council Member Erik Bottcher is among those sounding the alarm.
He posted the NYPD's wanted poster to social media, warning his Hell's Kitchen constituents about the alleged scammer.
Bottcher's office told Eyewitness News that he became aware of the ongoing scam because he's friends with one of the victims.
Currently, there are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.
As for Márchese, he's asking Cash App and Bank of America to help with his fraud claim, and in the meantime, is staying with friends as he begins his new bartending gig in the city.
"I've always been through a lot of adversity throughout my life ... the only way forward is moving forward," he said.
Meanwhile, Cordeiro has set up a GoFundMe page for her and Nathalia as they recover from the scam.
Eyewitness News reached out to the management company who said it has sent Fuelling a cease and desist and responded with a statement saying, "We were surprised and horrified to hear about the alleged scams being conducted by one of our tenants Nicholas Fuelling and upon hearing of the same, we have taken swift legal action against him to help ensure the same doesn't continue."
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