My roommate left with the security deposit and I'm still paying for it

I found her through a Facebook group for Charlotte roommates. Profile looked solid, she had references, we had a normal conversation over coffee. She moved in March 1st. By April she was completely normal to live with, no issues at all. I genuinely thought I'd gotten lucky.

June happened fast. She texted that she was moving to Asheville for a job. I wished her well. We did a walk-through together, I gave her the $1,200 deposit check to forward to the landlord since she'd been the one handling the landlord relationship. She said she'd drop it off that week.

I found out about the eviction notice on a Tuesday. The landlord had never received the deposit. My roommate's number went to voicemail. Her Instagram was deleted. I called the landlord, explained what happened, had to show her my bank records proving I'd given the money to my roommate. It didn't matter legally. We were joint tenants. The lease was in both our names. I was equally responsible. I paid the $1,200 out of my savings to avoid eviction, filed a small claims case against my former roommate, and have never heard from her again. Lesson: always pay the landlord directly, even if it means two separate checks.