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Man posts fake Craigslist ad for Tempe rental, court documents say

Posted at 7:30 PM, Aug 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-31 01:54:16-04

A man is accused of a rental house scam in Tempe, according to court documents.

Records show that two men contacted Christopher Luther, 45, on Aug. 23 after he posted an advertisement to Craigslist about a rental home. The victims met with Luther at a Scottsdale restaurant and paid him a $1,200 security deposit. They also signed a lease, according to court documents.

Police said that Luther contacted the men again the next day, asking for more money. Luther allegedly threatened to rent the house to a different tenant if additional money wasn’t paid.  

After becoming suspicious about Luther, the victims went to the house that was listed on the Craigslist ad. The homeowners told the men that their home isn’t for rent and said that they may be involved in a scam, police records said.

The victims reported the incident to the Scottsdale Police Department, and Luther is now facing fraudulent scheme and theft charges. 

According to police, Luther also has outstanding arrest warrants in Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Louisiana, stemming from stock broker and rental scams. He also has multiple convictions for larceny, burglary, forgery and sale of false identification.