Gwinnett County police have arrested a man accused of stealing more than $250,000 from at least three people through a real estate scam.
Matt Johnson of Channel 2 confirmed that Jaylen Anderson, 23, was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail on Thursday.
The Anderson case began to disintegrate in January 2023. Two victims contacted police, claiming they were duped into buying property in Ellenwood.
“How can someone steal this much money?” Luz Holdsworth inquired. Holdsworth was one of the two victims. She claimed her family lost their life savings last January when they attempted to buy the home supposedly listed by Anderson.
“It came across on Zillow and we thought it was legit,” Holdsworth said. According to police, Holdsworth and the second victim lost $100,000 each.
We learned that the victims had already paid their earnest money and down payment. When they went to their attorney’s office to close, the attorney had to inform several people that they had nothing to do with the property.
“The victims got to the meeting and realized they were scammed,” a police spokesperson stated.
Anderson is accused of arranging a complex plan involving many properties throughout the metro Atlanta area.
“He’ll use aliases, to mask his email addresses, representing a law group — making it all look legit,” law enforcement officials said.
In August, a third victim attempted to buy the residence. He informed Suwanee police that he wired $50,000 to the person listed as the owner on Zillow, but investigators now believe Anderson duped him, too.
Holdsworth claims she never met anyone in person before wiring the money, and it will not happen again: “If I don’t see you, I’m not sending you any money.”
Anyone with information on the case can call GCPD investigators at 770-513-5300.