GWINETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County police have arrested a man they say stole more than $250,000 from at least three people in a real estate scam.
Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson confirmed that Jaylen Anderson, 23, was booked into the Gwinnett jail Thursday.
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The investigation into Anderson began to unravel in Jan. 2023. Two victims contacted police and said they were scammed over property they thought they were buying in Ellenwood.
“How can someone steal this much money?” Luz Holdsworth asked.
Holdsworth is one of the two victims. She told Johnson that her family lost their life savings last January when they tried to purchase the property allegedly listed by Anderson.
“It came across on Zillow and we thought it was legit,” Holdsworth said.
Police said Holdsworth and the other victim lost $100,000 each.
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Johnson learned the victims already paid their earnest money and down payment. When they went to their attorney’s office to close, the attorney had to tell multiple people they had nothing to do with the property.
“The victims got the meeting and realized they were scammed,” police said.
Anderson is accused of an elaborate scheme with multiple properties across the metro Atlanta area.
“He’ll use aliases, to mask his email addresses with different email address representing a Law Group, making it all look legit,” police said.
A third victim tried to buy the house in August. He told Suwanee police that he wired $50,000 to the person listed as the owner on Zillow, but police now believe Anderson tricked him, too.
Holdsworth says she never met anyone in person before wiring the money and that won’t happen again.
“If I don’t see you, I’m not sending you any money.”
Anyone with information on the case can contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300.
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