Prosecutors have indicted a Long Island man accused of defrauding New York City apartment hunters out of more than $61,000 through a rental scam that utilized numerous aliases and forged checks. Rajat Verma, 35, of Franklin Square, allegedly posed as a real estate agent, rented out apartments he did not own, and sometimes promised the same property to multiple tenants.

The scheme, which ran from September 2022 to November 2023, targeted at least 15 victims across Queens and Brooklyn. Verma allegedly obtained properties by giving landlords forged checks, then quickly secured keys before the checks could bounce. He then advertised the apartments online, collecting thousands of dollars in security deposits and rental payments from unsuspecting renters, providing them with fake leases and, in some cases, keys that did not work.

One victim reportedly arrived to move in only to find another family already occupying the apartment, having fallen prey to the same scam. The properties involved were located in Glen Oaks, Rego Park, College Point, Ozone Park, Hollis, and Maspeth in Queens, as well as one in Brooklyn.

According to the Queens District Attorney's office, Verma operated under at least 11 aliases, including Rajib “Raj” Sharma, Sammy Miah, Barry Padmanabhan, Bobby Gupta, Dave Mair, and Ahmed Abbas, employing different phone numbers and email addresses to evade detection.

“As alleged, this defendant took advantage of those seeking housing by purporting to be a real estate agent and renting out properties that did not belong to him,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. “The unsuspecting tenants gave him payments and signed phony leases that left them without their money and housing.”

Verma faces charges including scheme to defraud, grand larceny, identity theft, criminal possession of stolen property, and criminal possession of forged instruments. He was arraigned on October 29 and faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. His next court date is scheduled for November 23.

This case highlights the challenges in New York's competitive rental market. State data indicates that complaints about suspected rental scams in New York rose by 55% between 2023 and 2025. Nationally, the Federal Trade Commission reported nearly 65,000 rental scams and approximately $65 million in losses between January 2020 and June 2025.