A Jacksonville woman was arrested on fraud warrants after police said renters paid money for properties they found through Facebook Marketplace or Facebook Messenger, only to learn the leases were not valid.
Authorities identified the woman as Saderria Johnson, 34, according to News4JAX. The warrants came from rental-fraud complaints dating back to April 2023.
Police said the cases involved online listings, payments from prospective renters, and properties Johnson was not authorized to lease. Some victims paid through digital apps, and at least one family tried to move into a home before being told they were not supposed to be there.
Johnson faces charges across the cases, including hiring or leasing property with intent to defraud, conspiracy to commit organized fraud, obtaining personal property with intent to defraud, and communications fraud. The charges are accusations and have not been proven in court.
Police Say Johnson Was Arrested During a Traffic Stop
News4JAX reported that Johnson was taken into custody on July 3 after a traffic stop on Arlington Road. According to arrest documents cited by the station, an officer recognized her as a passenger in the vehicle, confirmed her name, and detained her on active warrants.
The warrants were tied to at least four rental-fraud complaints. Investigators said the reports followed a similar pattern: victims found a rental online, communicated through Facebook, paid money, and later learned the person taking payment did not have authority to rent the property.
A Family Tried To Move Into a Home After Paying
One April 2023 case involved a home at 8822 Dandy Ave. A woman told investigators she found the property listed for rent online and contacted Johnson, who police said used the Facebook name “Puu Glitz,” according to News4JAX.
The woman paid Johnson and moved into the home with her children and the children’s father. A representative from JWB Rental Homes later told her the property was not under any lease and that the family was trespassing, the station reported. Authorities listed $665 as evidence in that case.
Another Renter Paid After a Virtual Showing
A second April 2023 report involved an apartment at 909 Bert St. The victim contacted Johnson through Facebook Marketplace and agreed to lease the apartment after Johnson showed it virtually, according to the arrest documents cited by News4JAX.
When the victim arrived at the property later that evening, she learned the lease was not valid. The landlord later told her it was a scam, and more than $1,154 was listed as stolen in that case.
Johnson was charged with conspiracy to commit organized fraud and obtaining personal property with intent to defraud in connection with that complaint, according to the report.
Police Found Men Inside a Vacant Home
A third case, from May 2023, involved a vacant home at 3531 Cesery Blvd. Officers responding to a burglary-in-progress call found two men inside the residence who said they had been paying rent to Johnson, News4JAX reported.
The homeowner told police the property had been vacant for about two years and was being renovated. Investigators later connected the case to payments sent through a Cash App account listed as “$envypuu,” according to the station.
The Most Recent Case Involved Zelle Payments
In a 2026 case, a victim said she lost $1,150 after Johnson posed as an employee of “B G Realty” and offered her a rental property at 5433 Sanders Road, according to News4JAX.
The money was sent in two Zelle payments, one for $750 and another for $400. The victim later received an eviction notice addressed to a different name and tried to contact Johnson, who was unresponsive, the report said.
News4JAX also reported that B G Realty is the subject of a separate fraud investigation by the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
Access to a Property Does Not Prove a Listing Is Real
The arrest reports listed a lease or rental manager for JWB Real Estate Capital as a witness across multiple cases, according to News4JAX. He told investigators he was familiar with Johnson from prior similar incidents.
The same witness said access to the company’s rental properties is controlled electronically through ShowMojo, a platform used to schedule viewings. That detail is important for renters because a person who can show a home virtually, provide access instructions, or communicate about a property online still may not be the owner or authorized manager.
In the reported cases, victims did not just lose application money. One family moved in and then heard from the real rental company that the property was not leased to them.
How Renters Can Check a Listing Before Paying
Renters should verify the property through a source outside the Facebook listing before sending an application fee, deposit, first month’s rent, or holding fee. County property records can show the legal owner, and the real rental company should be reachable through its official website, not only through Facebook Messenger.
Before paying, renters can call the property manager directly, confirm that the address appears on the company’s official site, ask for the agent’s full name and company email, and compare the lease name with the owner or authorized management company. Payment requests through Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, or a personal account should be treated carefully, especially when the person is asking for money before a signed lease.
Renters should save screenshots of the listing, messages, payment requests, names, phone numbers, email addresses, Cash App or Zelle details, lease documents, access instructions, and receipts. Suspected rental fraud can be reported to the payment provider, the real property owner or management company, local law enforcement, the state attorney general’s office, and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
