Warrant for S.F. woman accused of bilking renters S.F. CRIME

Rachael Marie Smith of San Francisco, accused of cheating would-be tenants out of thousands of dollars in deposits. Ran on: 07-30-2010 Rachael Marie Smith found renters through Craigslist. Ran on: 07-12-2011 Rachael Marie Smith allegedly collected several deposits. Ran on: 08-30-2011 Rachael Smith less Rachael Marie Smith of San Francisco, accused of cheating would-be tenants out of thousands of dollars in deposits. Ran on: 07-30-2010 Rachael Marie Smith found renters through Craigslist. Ran on: ... more Photo: San Francisco Police Department Photo: San Francisco Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Warrant for S.F. woman accused of bilking renters 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

SAN FRANCISCO --

An arrest warrant has been issued for a San Francisco woman who failed to show up in court on charges that she bilked would-be apartment renters of thousands of dollars apiece, authorities said Monday.

Rachael Marie Smith, 30, allegedly accepted would-be tenants' money for her Inner Richmond District apartment, then told them they couldn't move in immediately because her mother had cancer.

Smith is being sought on a $200,000 bench warrant after missing two court dates on numerous charges of grand theft and obtaining money under false pretenses, said Seth Steward, a spokesman for San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón.

Smith recruited victims by posting ads on Craigslist that offered to rent her apartment on the 5600 block of California Street near 18th Avenue, police said. In fact, authorities said, she was a tenant there.

More than a dozen would-be tenants signed leases with Smith, and each gave her a $5,600 check for the deposit, authorities said.

Smith then told them that they wouldn't be able to move in on their scheduled dates because her mother was sick and needed care, police said.

The alleged scam came to light when one woman signed her lease, then complained to a co-worker that she couldn't get ahold of Smith. The co-worker told her that Smith had taken her deposit on the same apartment and had given her the same story about a cancer-stricken mother, police said.