Monica Brown Rental Scammer Monica Brown ,a.k.a. Victoria Bakken, does her frauds in Los Angeles, California Los Angeles California

Meet Monica Brown!
A.k.a Veronica Brown, Victoria Brown, Victoria Bakken, Victoria Balkene, and maybe other names.

“Why does this little person need so much attention here?” – you ask.  Because, when you meet her, you will realize how much of big trouble she can put you in.  You might not take it seriously, until you find out the number of people that became her victims.  Do you think that people, who became her victims, would go as far as creating and supporting the dedicated facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MonicaBrownMiami) to monitor her activity if she would be just an everyday small scammer? Believe me: No. And you ask yourself – do you want to be next?

Well, here is my story:

My name is Volodymyr.  I am a photographer and a film-maker.  In 2013, while I was away for five months on my business trip to Europe for the movie pre-production - my roommate Natalia allowed Monica to stay for a while, since my room was vacant.  Natalia didn't tell me anything. Some of her friends just asked her to meet Monica (who introduced herself as Victoria Bakken) and kindly requested to accommodate her. At the time, she lived with them in the hotel, had nowhere to go and was looking for a room.  My roommate has been in the country less than a year and doesn't know well the local laws and regulations and she wasn’t aware of the importance of the background checks here in the U.S. Monica offered to pay Natalia $550 for the month of March, and she agreed, without making me aware (ouch… she got in trouble for that), hoping that by the time I am back - she will be gone.  She even did not ask for any deposits.

Monica lived there for a month, trying to act as a good person and friend, although it was suspicious that each time she was driven home by someone - she would always tell a different address to the drivers, not the actual, but somewhere nearby.  Also, she didn't want to use her name for anything that would be attached to this address.  It got even more strange, when Monica kept asking my roommate (who did lot's of modeling jobs back in Russia and worked at the TV) same question: "When we go out - do you feel bad that I look beautiful and you are not?"  (now I see that you are scrolling this page to the top to look at her picture again and I hear what you are saying, when you scroll back down to read this further.)  My roommate started to challenge Monica's sanity.

When 30 days past by - Monica turned into a little monster.  She said that she is not in the position to pay for her to stay there.  My roommate knew that I am coming back - asked her to vacate the apartment before I am back - Monica replied that she knows the law very well and the only way to get rid of her would be to file the eviction through the court, although she knows some tricks to delay the process up to 3 or more months and to enjoy the free rent.  YES! THIS IS CALIFORNIA LAW! AND IT IMPLIES TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS AS WELL AS TO THE TENANT SUBLEASES. 

When I got back - my roommate was so scared of what happened, and since the lease of the apartment is primarily on my name - I had to get involved.  I did, but within a few minutes of the conversation I easily concluded that we are dealing with a high degree mentally unbalanced person.  On April 11, 2013 we called the police.  Police showed up, questioned Monica, found the counterfeit note that she wrote on my roommate's behalf as the receipt of the payment (handwriting and the signature did not match and Police didn’t do anything about it), called her friend (who's very well-known in the adult entertainment industry, who’s name could be guessed from three attempts, but I am going to keep his privacy out of respect) and put him on the speaker phone.  In our presence, as well as in the presence of two police officers, she started to tell him that my roommate dared to call the police on her, saying that she didn't pay. "Well, Victoria, the truth is—you didn't!" - we all heard as the answer from the speakerphone.  After that she startled and shot off it, continued the conversation without us hearing the other party.  The place looked like a big dumpster and smelled very bad, and officers were about to remove her from the property, but… She showed the text message dated March 3, 2013, where my roommate was agreeing on the payment for the month of March and giving her OK to stay.  The police left, saying that in California if someone staying over 30 days - automatically becomes a tenant and the only way to resolve it is the eviction through the court.

After that – the leaving experience in our apartment became a nightmare! I was forced by law to share the apartment with someone, who was committed to destroy it, and who would serve the revenge in any possible way! Yes, she’s very petite, but very loud and aggressive. And quite fearless.  She would keep the lights on everywhere (she doesn't pay for it), she started to throw the trash everywhere, be awake until 5 or 6 am, making noises, talking on the phone, taking like 40 minutes long showers, knowing that is just on the other side of the bedroom wall. 

She would go to the police almost every day, complaining on us (very smart way – the best defense—is the offence.)  Also she called the police a couple times to come to our place to mediate some disputes. Once, she even requested the detectives to come.  We were told that this is very strange law, but it exists and the only thing was to go to the court and evict her.  The detective asked Monica, if she feels comfortable to live after this situation—she replied that she doesn’t and planning to move out in a few days.

Few minutes after the police and detectives left – I had the appointment with my friend to tape the video audition for one of the advertising projects that I was involved in.  When my friend came in – he was surprised no less than Monica and us… They knew each other.  As he told me later—from a similar dispute somewhere in Westwood, when she was kicked out by some Turkish family.  He is working with sheriff department and suggested to  write the agreement note, where she agrees not to pay money for April and stay another few days until the midnight of April 21, 2013.

Please check out this video: http://youtu.be/Efg5ZIg6a4Y

This video shows the process of negotiations. She was very offensive, but wrote the note, kept the original and I took a photo.  She didn’t want to show her ID (which she never shows to anyone, except at the bars and clubs). We shot everything on video and we had a witness. We left her alone until that date.  She kept saying that she will have some lady come and help her clean and pack her stuff. First, we said ok.  But she started to insist that we wouldn’t be home, because we are “crazy people” and she didn’t want to scare that lady.

On April 21 at midnight, she didn’t move out.  When we reminded her about the written agreement – she said that means nothing, and still needs to be taken to court if we are not agreeing about that.

In that video you can see what she was saying and how.  For most of the parts – no comments.

She would through away (or maybe eat, we don’t know) the leftovers that we put in fridge.  Natalia wears the contact lenses, and noticed that one day her eyes would burn a lot. She thought maybe coincidence, but decided to open the new solution. The burning stopped. Next day I came home and saw that my glass coffee table is missing.  We all saw her to sit on it as on the chair.  I went to the trash room – it was there, broken in pieces. When I started to pull it out from the dumpster – the trash room door got closed on me and I realized that I have no key to get out.  I called the manager to come and rescue me. When he saw me there – he was laughing, asking what am I doing there.  When he saw the parts of my coffee table in my hands – he said that he saw Victoria carrying it earlier to the dumpster, and now why would I take it back? We had to put everything in our bedroom and lock it.  Natalia told that she has one more item missing – the clear plastic bin, which she usually used to soak her clothes before the laundry.  When I questioned Victoria (it’s in the video) – she said that she doesn’t know, but some of our stuff might disappear.  She was claiming that some of her stuff was damaged by us and she’s looking for replacement.  She gave us hard time when she couldn’t find some vitamins and was demanding us to buy the new ones (about $50 value).

We found more people who she lived with in Beverly Hills. When I asked them, did they have any problems with Victoria? They replied “We had nothing but problems with her! She’s a nightmare” and agreed to contact the detective and share their story.

We realized that we don’t know her true identity, and we were sure that her name is NOT Victoria Bakken. She even spelled in the agreement differently that everyone knew her through facebook – Victoria Balkene. There were no legal ways we knew to find it. We would not just go in her purse and look for it.  We found someone, who she kept calling “my boyfriend”. We contacted him over Facebook, and he was happy that we did it. Apparently, she has been stocking him for almost 9 months, threatening that she will destroy his reputation if he wouldn’t be friends with her and if he wouldn’t perform a plastic surgery on her face (he is a respectful doctor). We found out that there is a case in West LAPD, which gathers all her harassing behavior cases, and there is very strong sense that she’s not who she says she is.  We all knew the fact that she thinks that she is very beautiful, and she’s out of money.  We asked our friend to approach her as a Playboy booking agent, offering her the job – a photoshoot.  She agreed, but she was asked to prove her legal age by sending the photocopy of her ID.  That’s when we found out that her real name is Monica Brown, she’s 37 y/o and she’s an Israeli citizen.  Also, we googled her name and were very shocked when we saw the results. We found out that she is wanted in Miami for many similar cases.  I got the text message from her saying: “I’m gonna have a lady come here and wash my clothes that you demaged. DO NOT BOTHER HER. I need my staff cleaned before I move out” And around 8:30 pm on April 27, she knocked my bedroom door and said that again.  I said that I don’t care, but that wasn’t up to her satisfaction. She demanded that Natalia and I should be not home.  I replied—this is my home and I will be here if I need to be here.  After a while she agreed that I can be home, just asked me to stay in my bedroom and not to come out, because I am “crazy” and can scare the poor lady.  I started to do my research and found out that this is very typical part of her fraud. She placed the ad on the craigslist, advertising our apartment for very cheap price. Content something like “Share the apartment with the very busy fitness model, who is never home. Isn’t that perfect?!” Therefore, that lady is the next potential victim.  She even could show it to more than one person. She keeps the price low, so people are tempted, than gives them the copies of the keys and says that you can move in in the few days or so. Takes first and last month deposit, gives the keys and… runs! I was waiting for the Monday morning, that’s when we should hear something from Miami police, we tried to delay her until we get the order to call the police, but looked like she was ready to take off.  I decided to walk to the Hollywood LAPD station, when they saw me - they as usual started to say to go to court. But I asked them to look what we found.  They were impressed how much homework we did, they even looked up through their internal channels and found that there is the warrant for her arrest in Miami. They requested me to go home and keep them posted.

She came home around 4:30 am, and started to bang the door. I did not answer. She started to pick the keys just in case if some of them would work. She started to push the door hard with her shoulder. I was standing in the dark, videotaping all sounds and movements of her shadow. At some point I heard some clicking sound – I called 911.  I suggested the operator to consult with the station front desk to know more about this case. She kept screaming from the top of her lungs that I stole her property.  I heard that many neighbors woke up and were making some noises.  When she heard me saying to the operator that I came by earlier to the station – she disappeared. I walked out the apartment to the street to wait for the police to arrive. When the officers came – she was nowhere around. They searched the building, she wasn’t there. But 10-15 minutes later she showed up, saying that her property is missing.  They put her in handcuffs and took to the station.

She was arrested, but Miami did not want to finance the extradition from California, therefore, due to the lack of police reports of her crimes in California, unfortunately they had to let her go in 24 hours. And she started to make harassing calls again as early as at 6 am on Monday.

She made a lot of noise in the building, when found out that we changed the locks and put her stuff in the safe place in the garage for her to pick up. She claims that some bags and documents are missing. But I even packed her trash in order not to hear her say that.  I even wouldn’t want to keep a toothpick, if it has her vibration attached to it.

More and more people started to show up and share their experience with Monica. We even talked to people from Miami and New York.  She certainly doesn’t have friends, because in a while after she shows her mentally unbalanced and harassing behavior, everyone wants not only stay away from her—they want to lock her up, since she is a socially dangerous. She is a parasite. But the saddest thing – her mental health is very poor, and no one will succeed with dealing with her on the adequate level.   Same time – she knows the law so well, so she knows how to use it, in order to press charges or to protect herself from others, same time keeps breaking it to do her living. And now, since she’s busted in LA - looks like she is on her way to Vegas!!!

I hope this article will help those who will have similar experience with Monica.  We did our best to assist her citizen arrest and to isolate her, but since Miami Police doesn’t want to bring her there – we will create awareness about this individual to ensure that her victims can protect themselves.

We put the WANTED signs with her picture on it all over Hollywood and other main parts of Los Angeles, hoping if she gets spotted—people will call the police, and Miami Police will reconsider her the financing of her extradition.  LAPD told us they have zero tolerance to Monica Brown and each time would be happy to arrest her and send the extradition requests over and over again.  But so far, she keeps calling from the blocked number from 30 to 60 times a day to leave the harassing voicemails on plastic surgeon’s phone.  Apparently, she already changed her phone number, and name too.

We wish you never meet her.  But if you do – do something to remove this parasite out of society.

You can follow her activity by checking out the dedicated facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MonicaBrownMiami