Fri. Feb 14th, 2025

Bruno Vieira Ferreira dorchester scammer arrested

Bruno Vieira Ferreira standing in front of a building on Taft St., holding money and a smartphone, with a group of confused and upset people holding rental agreements behind him.Bruno Vieira Ferreira standing in front of a building on Taft St., holding money and a smartphone, with a group of confused and upset people holding rental agreements behind him.

Bruno Vieira Ferreira, a 23-year-old resident of Dorchester, is facing a series of charges related to a scam in which he allegedly defrauded individuals out of thousands of dollars. These individuals believed they were making deposits for a room rental. Last month, Ferreira was arraigned in the West Roxbury division of Boston Municipal Court on a charge of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense. However, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office has stated that he is also facing additional charges, including larceny, larceny by false pretense, forgery, and uttering a false check in both the Dorchester and Central divisions of Boston Municipal Court.

Prosecutors claim that Ferreira collected deposits ranging from $450 to $1,800 from at least six people who responded to a Facebook Marketplace advertisement for a room for rent at 9 Taft St. in Dorchester during January and February. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden described the scam as “brazen” and “ongoing,” warning consumers to be extremely vigilant when dealing with property rentals, as scammers often use platforms like Facebook Marketplace to create seemingly legitimate housing offers.

According to the District Attorney’s office, Ferreira collected a total of $10,350 in deposits, which were made in cash and through Zelle. When the victims inquired about their move-in dates, Ferreira reportedly gave various excuses to prevent them from moving in and refused to refund their payments.

courtroom scene with Bruno Vieira Ferreira standing before a judge, with a group of hopeful victims watching the proceedings in the background.
courtroom scene with Bruno Vieira Ferreira standing before a judge, with a group of hopeful victims watching the proceedings in the background.

In early February, police were called to 9 Taft St. following a report of a landlord-tenant dispute. At the scene, two men informed officers that they had signed a lease agreement and paid $3,600 for an apartment at the address, only to find out that the apartment was occupied and not available. They learned from a resident that Ferreira had been advertising the room and scamming potential tenants.

A few days later, police returned to the address for a similar dispute, where a man reported paying Ferreira $1,350 for a room with a February 1 move-in date, but was subsequently denied access to the property. Detectives later discovered a sign in the building’s lobby indicating that there were multiple police reports filed against Ferreira and that an eviction notice had been issued.

Ferreira was arrested on February 28 at a new apartment on Exeter Street. He is scheduled to return to court in West Roxbury on April 19 to face some of the charges against him.

Related Post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *