A South Carolina woman has returned home from vacation to find a family of strangers living in her new house.
Katherine Lang, 75, was stunned when she opened the doors to her new home in Beaufort, South Carolina, on Sunday to find 22-year-old Tyggra Shepherd inside with a friend and pets.
Lang bought the property in Beaufort, South Carolina, in October last year and had not yet moved in. She decided to stop by on Sunday to check the pipes after returning to the area from a vacation.
That is when she found Shepherd, who was under the impression that she was legally renting it for $850 a month.
Shepherd recently signed a fake lease that was sent to her by a woman claiming to be a realtor on Facebook.
Katherine Lang, 75, returned to her new house in Beaufort, South Carolina, on Sunday to find Tyggra Shepherd, 22, there. Tyggra was the victim of a Facebook scam and thought she was legally renting the house
She sent the woman, who she named as Rosie Ruggles, $1,150 for her first month’s rent and deposit and was told she would be sent the keys later but, in order to move on, could get into the house through the back door which she said was open.
It is not known how long she was in the house before Lang confronted her on Sunday.
The two women called police on Sunday after their run-in at Lang’s home, but neither has heard from Ruggles.
She did not respond to questions from DailyMail.com on Friday and it is not clear if she has been arrested.
Shepherd said she first got in touch with her after spotting an ad for the home on a public Facebook group.
It was advertised as furnished and the ad included pictures of the interior, as Lang had already decorated it.
Shepherd said she was elated when Ruggles told her it was hers because she thought she had snagged a bargain.
Lang bought her three bedroom house in October and was renovating it before moving in. It was advertised on Facebook as a furnished rental and Shepherd thought she had snagged it for $850 a month
The women named Rosie Ruggles as the scammer. Ruggles, who refused to speak to DailyMail.com, posts ads such as this one in Facebook groups all over the country
Ruggles allegedly instructed her to wire her the money.
Homeowner Lang said she believes she was being watched at the house before she went on vacation
At first, she claimed the keys would be sent to her by a courier.
As Shepherd’s move-in date approached, she claims Ruggles suddenly told her that the driver who was transporting her keys had been arrested on the road and the vehicle compounded.
She said the woman was apologetic and sincere and told her she would leave the backdoor of the home open for her.
‘I was so crushed when I found out it was a scam,’ Shepherd told The Beaufort Gazette.
Lang allowed her several days before she had to move out.
She said she fears the scammers had been watching her property while she was renovating it and knew when the house was going to be unoccupied.
On Facebook, others have complained about Ruggles posts in other groups.