Durham PD: Woman's roommate was an unwelcomed surprise
DURHAM (WTVD) -- Online transactions with unknown people should always be approached with caution, whether buying a used smart phone or finding a roommate.
Durham police have issued an alert about the latter, and it's a cautionary tale worth repeating.
A woman told investigators that she responded to a Craigslist advertisement on April 21 for a room to rent in a three-bedroom house in Durham.
She thought she was corresponding with another woman roughly her age and was expecting a female roommate.
But when she moved into the home, she discovered to her shock that the ad had been placed by a man, who lives in the home and had been impersonating a younger woman online, investigators said.
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Police arrested William Oliver King Jr., 52, of Arnette Avenue on April 24 and charged him with obtaining property by false pretense.
The woman has since moved out.
If you have been a victim of a similar scam, you are asked to call investigator J.A. Rodriguez at (919) 560-4440, ext. 29350.
The Durham Police Department's Fraud Unit is providing the following crime prevention tips:
