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Brooklyn woman has been charged with swindling thousands from prospective tenants by advertising a fake apartment rental on Russian-language newspapers. Svetlana Katzevman allegedly posted ads for her Gravesend apartment at 1800 Ocean Parkway, charging $700 to $2,300 in cash for security deposits and rent. However, when the victims arrived at the apartment, they found it locked, and Katzevman stopped responding to their calls and messages.

    Katzevman, who lives in the apartment herself, never provided the tenants with leases or keys, according to the District Attorney's office. Several of the victims were recent Ukrainian immigrants, whom Katzevman allegedly targeted by offering them discounts due to her supposed shared heritage. The dozen victims all speak Russian and reside or work in Brooklyn.

    Katzevman, 62, was charged with grand larceny and released without bail. She is accused of collecting around $15,800 from the victims between January 2022 and July 2024. One victim paid a total of $1,400 for a deposit and first month's rent, while another handed over $1,600 in cash for a security deposit.

    "This defendant exploited the trust and vulnerability of her neighbors, many of whom are newly arrived immigrants seeking stability," said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.