Family moving to Milwaukee scammed out of apartment, left homeless

By Emily Pofahl

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — When Mary Kaphuka moved to Milwaukee from Missouri with her fiancé and four kids, pregnant with her fifth, she expected a fresh start.

“I’m due in January,” Kaphuka said.

She planned to live in a four-bedroom apartment on the city’s south side near 65th Street and Oklahoma Avenue. She thought she’d move to the city, sign a lease, and move-in July 2.

When move-in day came, she discovered she’d been scammed. The address didn’t exist.

“We went looking for the house. And the address, like, the location – did not match,” Kaphuka said.

Kaphuka said she found the apartment on Facebook, from a woman named “Ms. Allie” who claimed to run a rental business helping at-risk mothers find stable housing. Ms. Allie sent Kaphuka pictures of an apartment, and said she acted as a third-party working with local landlords and their tenants.

After Kaphuka paid the security deposit, she said Ms. Allie broke contact.

“She stopped answering,” she said. “My hard-earned money I worked for, you took from me and my family and left us with nothing,” Kaphuka said.

WISN 12 News attempted to contact Ms. Allie on Wednesday multiple times. The phone number listed on Ms. Allie’s online business card has been discontinued.

Kaphuka has been couch surfing with friends and family and staying in hotels, but is now out of options. She said she plans to find a shelter for her and her family to stay at while they earn money and look for housing. Kaphuka works as an in-home care professional and will start work this month without a place to call home. The situation has been difficult for her children.

“It’s just hard. I mean, my kids are small, so they don’t really understand, but it’s just a lot,” Kaphuka said.

Kaphuka has filed a police report, and is hoping for the scammer’s arrest and charges. WISN 12 News reached out to Milwaukee police for more information, but has not heard back.

Kaphuka said she also plans to get her money back in small claims court.

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