I read she signed a lease by fax. Some transactions should not be done online or via fax if you have never met the recipient of your money. It’s too risky. If I was about to spend $3000. for something as significant as a family home, I would want to know something about who was getting the money, and if there were any conditions that would automatically void the deal.
Making a deal like this still doesn’t explain why someone chose to smash in the back window.
The kind of person who would try buying a house in this manner may have their own things they wish to hide.
The person probably smashed the back window, because the person that set up the scam said it was okay.