New York Man Jailed in Florida Keys, Accused of Renting Out a Big Pine Key Home That Wasn't for Rent

Published Nov. 12, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

The listing showed a vacation home on Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys. A traveler paid $1,440 to rent it. Only when she arrived at the property did she learn it wasn't for rent at all, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

That was in 2024. Detectives spent the time since following bank, credit card and email records. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, Fawaz Shittu, 28, of New York, New York, was booked into the Monroe County jail on charges of grand theft and fraud, according to the sheriff's office as reported by KONK Life and the Miami Focal [1][2].

Important: Shittu is charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. We found no public statement from him or a defense lawyer.

What the sheriff's office alleges

According to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, as reported by KONK Life and the Miami Focal [1][2]:

• The listing. A property on Big Pine Key was advertised online for rent.
• The payment. A woman told investigators she was defrauded of $1,440 while trying to rent the property.
• The discovery. "She realized she was scammed when she arrived at the property," KONK Life reported.
• The investigation. The sheriff's office investigation began in 2024. Detectives used bank, credit card and email records to identify Shittu, and warrants were obtained for his arrest in Monroe County.
• The arrest. Shittu was booked into jail on Nov. 10, 2026.

The sheriff's office did not say where the listing was posted, how the payment was made, or whether it believes other travelers were targeted, the Miami Focal reported [2]. The traveler is not named, and we do not name her.

The person charged and his status

Fawaz Shittu, 28, of New York, N.Y. Charged with grand theft and fraud; booked into the Monroe County jail on Nov. 10, 2026 [1]. The Miami Focal, citing jail records, reported he was being held on a $100,000 bond at the sheriff's Key West detention facility as of Nov. 11 [2]. The reports do not list the specific Florida statutes, a case number or a court date, and court records were "not immediately available," according to the Focal. Formal charging by the State Attorney's Office is status pending.

How fake vacation rental scams work

Fake rental scams are simple and hard to spot from far away. A scammer copies photos and a description from a real listing or real-estate site, or invents one, and advertises it at an attractive price, often on a classifieds site, social media group or a cloned booking page. The "host" pushes for payment outside the platform's own checkout system, by wire, payment app or gift card, and may cite a deadline or another interested renter. The traveler finds out only on arrival, when the real owner or a full-time resident answers the door.

The Miami Focal noted that the Keys' tight, expensive housing market pushes many visitors toward short-term rentals booked sight unseen, and that victims often learn they've been defrauded only after traveling to the property [2]. That combination of a far-away property, a short booking window and no way to inspect in person is what these schemes rely on.

Red flags

These are general warning signs, not claims about any person beyond what the sheriff's office alleges.

• A price well below comparable rentals in the same area and season.
• A request to pay outside the booking platform, such as by Zelle, Cash App, wire transfer or gift cards, or a "discount" for doing so.
• A host who can't or won't talk by phone or video, or who gives excuses for not showing the property.
• The same photos elsewhere. A reverse image search shows the pictures on a different listing, a real-estate sale page or another city.
• Pressure to book now because "another family is interested."
• No rental agreement or a vague one with no physical address for the owner or manager.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Book through a platform's own payment system, which usually offers some refund protection, and never move the conversation or the payment off the site.
2. Pay by credit card when you can, so you have dispute rights.
3. Verify the property. Check county property-appraiser records to see who owns it, and contact a local property manager or the owner directly if you can.
4. Search the address and the host's name together with words like "scam" or "fraud."
5. If you've been scammed, report it to the sheriff's office or police where the property is located, the platform where you saw the ad, your bank or card issuer, and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also file with the FBI at ic3.gov.

Case status (as of Nov. 12, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Fawaz Shittu, 28, New York, N.Y.	Monroe County, Fla. (state court)	Arrested on warrants and booked Nov. 10, 2026, on grand theft and fraud charges; held on $100,000 bond per jail records; formal charging and court date status pending; not convicted; presumed innocent	[1], [2]

Statuses can change. The sheriff's office's original release was not located online; details are from outlets reporting it.

We searched the Monroe County Sheriff's Office website and did not find an original news posting; the details above come from the sheriff's office and jail records as reported by KONK Life and the Miami Focal.

Sources

1. "A 28-year-old New York, New York man was booked into Monroe County jail," KONK Life, Nov. 11, 2026 (reporting a Monroe County Sheriff's Office investigation). https://konklife.com/a-28-year-old-new-york-new-york-man-was-booked-into-monroe-county-jail/
2. The Miami Focal staff, "New York Man Jailed in Florida Keys on $100,000 Bond in Big Pine Key Vacation Rental Fraud," Miami Focal (Focal News), Nov. 11, 2026 (citing the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and jail records). https://focalnews.org/miami-fl/local/new-york-man-jailed-in-florida-keys-on-100000-bond-in-big-pine-key-vacation-rental-fraud

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Corrections and updates: If you are named in this article, or represent someone who is, and believe anything here is inaccurate or out of date (including a dismissal, acquittal, or change in case status), please contact us at editorandchief@scammers.com. We will review it and update the article promptly.