Vickenson Ambroise, 38, is facing multiple charges after allegedly scamming two renters in Palm Beach with a fraudulent Craigslist listing. The scam lured victims with a deal for a Palm Beach apartment listed at an unusually low price, leading to a series of criminal charges against Ambroise.
On February 4, the owner of the ‘Chilean Apartment’ complex received a call from one of her tenants, claiming to have met new tenants moving into unit four. However, the owner had never leased that unit, as revealed in the probable cause affidavit. The apartment had been shown intermittently, and a key had been left inside for handymen.
The apartment was originally listed at $5,200 a month on Zillow, but a suspiciously low listing appeared on Craigslist for just $1,175 a month or even less for longer-term rentals. The Craigslist lister, who went by the name ‘Chris,’ was later identified as Ambroise. He had no intention of collecting online payments, instead opting to meet with victims in person and hand over the keys.
Police were called to the scene and spoke to two victims. One woman explained that she had met ‘Chris,’ who presented himself as a ‘family friend’ of the building owner, and toured the unit on February 2. She paid Ambroise $1,400 through Zelle and moved in. Another victim had a similar story, meeting Ambroise on February 3 and agreeing to rent a room in the same apartment after hearing the offer.
Both women later identified Ambroise as the scammer, leading to his arrest. Ambroise now faces charges including fraudulent sale or lease of property, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft, unlawful use of a communication device, and fraudulent use of personal identification.
