Christine Joy Scott, a teacher aide from Hamilton, used forged driver’s licenses to deceive multiple property management firms, securing weeks of rent-free accommodation and swindling landlords out of approximately $40,000 in unpaid rent. Her fraudulent activities, spanning from 2021 to early 2023, included fabricating proof of payments and falsifying bank documents, which initially misled even the Tenancy Tribunal. Despite being caught and charged, Scott continued her scheme, targeting additional property firms. She has pleaded guilty to multiple charges of fraud and will be sentenced in January.
Key Points:
- Fraudulent Scheme: Christine Scott used fake driver’s licenses and falsified documents to avoid paying rent, tricking property managers into renting homes to her without proper payment.
- Tenancy Tribunal Involvement: Her forgeries initially fooled the Tenancy Tribunal, which dismissed several property management applications to evict her based on falsified proof of payment.
- Significant Financial Loss: Her actions caused landlords to lose an estimated $40,000 in rent across multiple properties.
Timeline of Events:
- March 2021: Scott began her scheme, renting a property in Chartwell and eventually falling into arrears.
- August 2021: Despite mediation, she provided false documents to prove payment, delaying eviction.
- July 2022: She repeated the scheme with another property management firm, accumulating further rent arrears.
- December 2022: She owed over $9,200 in unpaid rent after her deception was uncovered by police and Kiwibank.
- Subsequent Attempts: Additional attempts in 2022 and 2023 targeted other firms, although some eventually detected her fraudulent documents.
- Final Outcome: Scott pleaded guilty to charges of forgery and fraud and is scheduled for sentencing in January.
Read full article at waikatotimes.co.nz
