Annette Anderson of York County Pennsylviania is accused of theft by deception and theft by unlawful taking after allegedly scamming the tenants of the 23 rental properties into giving her their rent payments each month.
News station 21 News reports that Anderson began assisting her elderly mother in 2024 by collecting rent payments for the 23 rental properties her mother managed. However, her mother was not the owner of the properties — she was simply overseeing them on behalf of a separate landlord.
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By October of that year, Anderson had allegedly stopped handing over the rent money to her mother, instead claiming she was keeping it safe at home. In April 2025, Anderson’s mother told the property owner that she hadn’t received payments in months. Officials said that the owner then attempted to contact Anderson directly several times before finally involving the police.
While the police were able to contact Anderson at the time, she has allegedly gone on the run.
Tenants outraged
Tenants of Anderson’s mother’s units reacted with shock when they learned of Anderson’s charges.
“Knowing a person like that took money from people like us, and, you know, us trusting her and sending out payments like that, yeah it’s upsetting, it’s very upsetting," said renter Annette Martinez, who is not related to Anderson.
The York City Police Department found that several tenants had not only paid rent to Anderson, but also their fees for sewage and trash. They also found that she had asked them to pay their rent by Venmo or CashApp in addition to the usual cashier’s check or cash.
The situation has many in the neighborhood worried, as some tenants say they’re now at risk of losing their homes. “People going in the street, a lot of people are going homeless because the rent is going too high,” said Gilberto Rivera in an interview with local news station 21 News.
The police told 21 News that Anderson said she was “ashamed” of her actions when they contacted her about the investigation. She said she was involved in gambling at a local casino.
According to the report, she assured police she would be able to pay the money by April 28, and was looking to get help for her gambling problem. However, she has been unreachable since that time, and police say her whereabouts are unknown.
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Tenants may still owe rent despite paying
It’s unclear right now how the building owner plans to deal with the theft. Martinez told 21 News that the owners of the properties Anderson’s mother managed have hired new personnel to collect rents, and have issued letters that state their intention to “work this out.”
In a similar case in Tennessee in 2023, tenants were told by their rental company that the theft of their rent payments wasn’t their fault, but they were still expected to pay the company again for the stolen amounts. With a record of all payments, tenants can report to the police and have a strong case to retain a lawyer to contest the demand for additional rent payments.
In the case of Anderson’s mother, she may be on the hook for the payments collected by her daughter, especially if the checks issued by tenants were not tampered with and are correctly made out to her.
How to protect yourself from rental scams
If you are a victim of this type of crime, you can contact your state’s rental board. Some states, like New York, have a Housing and Tenant Protection Unit (HTPU), which is a branch of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
In cases like this, tenants are advised to ensure they have a paper trail for all rent paid. This allows the police to accurately assess how much was stolen, and also for the tenant to prove to the management company and building owner that they paid their rent in good faith.
Law firm Kimball, Tirey and St. John advises landlords and property managers on their blog to avoid the possibility of theft by upgrading to more modern and secure methods of collecting rents, including accepting online payments, or taking payments by machine at the office during business hours. Property owners can also demand that managers only accept payments by secure means in their contract agreements, and include other provisions on how rents are collected and paid to protect their interests in the buildings they own.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
