My guess is it’s just a scammer who did the ‘renting’. One exactly like this happened here in Destin last year.
A guy would look for foreclosed properties, break in and change the locks, then ‘list’ the properties for rent on Craigslist and local papers. He’d collect the First/Last/Damage Deposits and had the renters mail their monthly checks to some PO box. He took advantage of people who were new to the area and had all the legal type papers and everything for them to sign just like a realtor would.
These were really upscale homes, not run down neighborhoods, so the $$ involved was quite substantial..................
How did they catch him? This is big bucks criminality you describe. Lord, do I hate the RE business because of what people are allowed to do with disinterested law enforcement.