Restoring a historic home can be a labor of love for those who enjoy the process. For one homeowner, bringing a historic home back to its former glory was meant to be an investment in the future, after the Monroe man planned to use it to generate some income as a short-term vacation rental property.
However, Osher Zellig says his hopes and dreams went up in smoke when he claims he was targeted in an elaborate scam after a group rented out his home to use it as the site of a massive party, which brought 2,000 partygoers to the property.
Needless to say, the property was damaged as a result, and Zellig says he’s devastated by the destruction and worried that he won’t be able to repair much of what has been done.
Worst of all, it doesn’t seem like this is the first time a scam like this has been pulled off. Here’s what you need to know about short-term rental fraud.
A New York Man’s Historic Home Was Destroyed by Scammers
RENTAL NIGHTMARE: ‘I was duped.’ A Monroe homeowner says he got ‘scammed’ after people posing as a family rented his 7-bedroom historic mansion, then secretly promoted a pool party that drew up to 2,000 people. Why he says no one may be held accountable — 4:30 on @News12HV. pic.twitter.com/zueZTjezyE
— Blaise Gomez (@BlaiseGomez12) July 14, 2026
Zellig told News 12 that he thought he had rented out the property as a short-term rental to a family for the weekend. Instead, he was deceived by scammers who used the property to host a massive pool party, which neighbors said brought in hundreds of cars.
“It is like a nightmare. Just a nightmare,” he told reporters. “It’s an organized scam.” After the party, the homeowner found broken furniture, debris around the pool, broken glass, and a trashed 150-year-old piano that Zellig says has been destroyed beyond repair. “You can’t replace that,” he said. “To fix it would cost thousands of dollars.”
But the damage doesn’t stop there. In addition to what photos posted to X show, Zellig says there is also some structural damage as well. “There’s a leak in the ceiling, the sewer system was overwhelmed, and there was sewage coming out all over the place,” he continued. “The whole basement is flooded with sewer, and the bathrooms are overflowing. The house is a wreck.”
This is a Common Scam
It sounds like authorities were unable to find out about the party in advance because it was advertised online without an address. Those who were interested in attending were told to message the organizer for the location, which was then securely sent out to those who were planning to come.
While people who rent properties for vacations and getaways are usually the ones who find themselves facing fraudulent rentals, it’s clear that those on both sides of the agreement need to take a few extra steps to protect themselves.
According to Zillow, that means avoiding rentals that seem “too good to be true,” avoiding those that ask you to send payment through untraceable account methods (like cryptocurrency and cash), and sticking to reputable sites like Vrbo and Airbnb.
Sadly, it appears the homeowner took those extra precautions and still got scammed, highlighting the risks that can sometimes come along with these types of rentals.