Saturday, February 6, 2010

Getting scammed

We are moving out in August and I decided to start advertising now in order to avoid the last minute panic.

I got an email for a really nice place in a somewhat rural area, which I like. My roommate ran a scam check by putting the address in through craiglist and seeing if there were any hits. There were. It is rather clever. They took an ad for two bedroom and made it into an ad for a four bedroom. Which is the greed hook. $300 per month would have been very nice. The scammer didn't even read my ad. I'm a little hurt, because it was a good ad and gave the information he wants in his list. Come on scammers! At least don't use a form document. Oh wait, maybe I shouldn't tell them that.

It didn't look too scamlike, apart from the rooms looking like B&B rooms, until I asked for a face to face interview.


Re: 4 bedroom for August 1st (Near uvic)‏
From: Ryan Joe (roarthur3@gmail.com)
Sent: February 5, 2010 10:58:46 PM
To: Jesse ... (vesuvius@hotmail.com)
Hi
thanks for your email..i own it and its located @ 1435 Braefoot Close, Victoria B.C.    and also want you to know that it was due to my missionary trip that makes me, my wife and Daughter to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So for now, We are here in the United Kingdom, our new house and put all my worries off concerning the maintenance of the House , i have the keys to the House and it is  right here with me, and also the house documents....... Which I can send to you after all necessary agreement has be accepted.. Also I will like you to know that the rent charges is not really the issue ,but your absolute maintenance of my House is most important thing so i want you to get back to me with the Application form below

RENT APPLICATION FORM

1)Your Full Name
2)Your Full Address & Phone Number
3)Age
4)Are you married
5)How many people will be living in the house
6)Do you have a pet
7)Do you have a car
8)Occupation
9)When do you want to move in
10)How long do you want to stay in my House
11)Reason for moving out of Current home

 so If you are still interested, and  Note that rent is $1200 per month and  Utilities is included in the rent .I personally will actually come visiting you some time during the year as our new tenant. Looking forward to hearing from you with all the details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you. Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys of the house to you. The address of the house is  1435 Braefoot Close, Victoria B.C. 

I was considering sending them the money in domino currency. Oh well, no chickens for me. It wouldn't have been that convenient anyhow.

13 comments:

Conda Douglas said...

Sigh--this is the double-edged sword of the Internet--you can post on Craiglist and it's posted on Craiglist, convenience, reaching tons of people...and possible scamming.

Elisabeth said...

This is terrible. One of my daughter's friends lost a great deal of money when she and her partner arrived in London looking for accommodation in this way.

I find it almost unbearable. To prey on the innocence of those genuinely looking for a home to rent seems heinous indeed.

Take care.

Tiffany said...

I get the exact same email for a place in BC as well. I figured it was a scam.. I was looking up the person and address on the internet and found this.. so I know for sure it is a scam! Thanks for helping!

jesse said...

Thank you all for your comments.

I gather I can report this to Craiglist, but it drives me crazy that I can't do more. There should be some way to...I don't know.

Anonymous said...

Got the email as well

Hi
thanks for your email..i own it and its located @ 45915 Reece Ave. Chilliwack BC CA and also want you to know that it was due to my missionary trip that makes me, my wife and Daughter to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So for now, We are here in the United Kingdom, our new house and put all my worries off concerning the maintenance of the House , i have the keys to the House and it is right here with me, and also the house documents....... Which I can send to you after all necessary agreement has be accepted.. Also I will like you to know that the rent charges is not really the issue ,but your absolute maintenance of my House is most important thing so i want you to get back to me with the Application form below


RENT APPLICATION FORM


1)Your Full Name
2)Your Full Address & Phone Number
3)Age
4)Are you married
5)How many people will be living in the house
6)Do you have a pet
7)Do you have a car
8)Occupation
9)When do you want to move in
10)How long do you want to stay in my House
11)Reason for moving out of Current home


so If you are still interested, and Note that rent is $1000 per month and Utilities is included in the rent .I personally will actually come visiting you some time during the year as our new tenant. Looking forward to hearing from you with all the details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you. Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys of the house to you. The address of the house is 45915 Reece Ave. Chilliwack BC CA

Eric said...

I just got the EXACT same email in my inbox (except for a Vancouver apartment.) Thanks for posting. Please people, don't just send money to people like this, its never a good idea.

Michael said...

This guy responded to a want ad I posted on Craigslist. He originally emailed me from richyore1@gmail.com, but then switched to roarthur3@gmail.com (which I found your post by googling).

He was offering me a 3 bedroom + den with hardwood floors, a fireplace, dishwasher and laundry, all for $1000/month (unheard of in Victoria). He attached the same photos he sent you. He also included an address, so I rode over to see it. As it turns out, 660 Niagara is an old folks home.

Knowing full well he's a (likely Nigerian) scammer, I've strung him along through a few emails just for the entertainment value, but after I told him I wouldn't fill out his "application" till I saw the place, he stopped emailing.

I assume that down the line he asks for rent to be wired to him. I sure hope nobody actually falls for it.

Anonymous said...

He's still at it -- I got the same email for the same place in Victoria. Happy that you had this up here to avoid a headache.

M G said...

He emailed me as well. I wish there were a way to catch him. This is the address he wanted me to wire money too.

Name: Edward Roger
Address: 85 Woodlands Road
State: Liverpool
Zipcode: L17 0AN
country: United Kingdom

Hopefully this page comes up when people google his name. I found it by pasting entire sentences into google.

Anonymous said...

I also recieved this email for 1435 Braefoot Close


Hi>> thanks for your email. If you are interested, please drive by or walk>> by the home anytime to see if the location and neighborhood meet your>> needs.Rent is $900 per month and damage deposit is $100>> i own it and it was due to my missionary trip that makes me, my wife>> and Daughter to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent>> and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of>> it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean>> at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were>> its own. So for now, We are here in the United Kingdom, our new house>> and put all my worries off concerning the maintenance of the House , i>> have the keys to the House and it is right here with me, and also the>> house documents....... Which I can send to you after all necessary>> agreement has be accepted.. Also I will like you to know that the rent>> charges is not really the issue ,but your absolute maintenance of my>> House is most important thing so i want you to get back to me with the>> Application form below>>>> RENT APPLICATION FORM>>>> 1)Your Full Name>> 2)Your Full Address & Phone Number>> 3)Age>> 4)Are you married>> 5)How many people will be living in the house>> 6)Do you have a pet>> 7)Do you have a car>> 8)Occupation>> 9)When do you want to move in>> 10)How long do you want to stay in my House>> 11)Reason for moving out of Current home>>>> so If you are still interested, and .I personally will actually come>> visiting you some time during the year as our new tenant. Looking>> forward to hearing from you with all the details so that i can have it>> in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.>> Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the>> document and the keys of the house to you.>>

Des said...

Hi, thanks very much for posting this. I'm looking for accomodation on gumtree in Dublin Ireland and got it too. I will post it now to help others.

Hithanks for your email..utilities mine some part of the inside isfurnished and also no one else that is living there,i own it and itwas due to my missionary trip that makes me, my wife and Daughter toleave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking fora responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are notafter the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time andthe person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So fornow, We are here in the United Kingdom, our new house and put all myworries off concerning the maintenance of the House , i have the keysto the House and it is right here with me, and also the housedocuments....... Which I can send to you after all necessary agreementhas be accepted.. Also I will like you to know that the rent chargesis not really the issue ,but your absolute maintenance of my House ismost important thing so i want you to get back to me with theApplication form below RENT APPLICATION FORM 1)Your Full Name2)Your Full Address & Phone Number3)Age4)Are you married5)How many people will be living in the house6)Do you have a pet7)Do you have a car8)Occupation9)When do you want to move in10)How long do you want to stay in my House11)Reason for moving out of Current home so If you are still interested, and .I personally will actually comevisiting you some time during the year as our new tenant. Lookingforward to hearing from you with all the details so that i can have itin my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get thedocument and the keys of the house to you.

thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Also got the same email while looking a house in Belfast, advertised through Gumtree.

"Hi
thanks for your email..i own it and it was due to my missionary trip that makes me, my wife and Daughter to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So for now, We are here in West Africa our new house and put all my worries off concerning the maintenance of the house , i have the keys to the house and it is right here with me, and also the house documents....... Which I can send to you after all necessary agreement has be accepted.. Also I will like you to know that the rent charges is not really the issue ,but your absolute maintenance of my house is most important thing so i want you to get back to me with the Application form below."

Under the name of Willy willy01789@hotmail.com

And yesterday i had one from Charlessmithgb@gmail.com


"Thanks for getting back to me ,This personal property,its a four Bedroom Property and i am willing to rent the property out, But i am just in need of a reliable tenant,someone who is neat and who will take very good care of it because i do not live in the property, i am sure you will be impress when you get to see the property as it is very lovely and i bet you will not want to loose it when you see it, it is very spacious and and newly decorated,and enclose are pictures of the property so you can have an upfront view of how it looks like,and you don,t have to worry about the location because its in your preferable location as it is located on Elaine Street, Stranmillis, Belfast City Centre, Co. Antrim, BT9 5AR
And concerning the rent bill,

The rent bill is...800 pounds per month

Deposit....800 pounds

Regards

charles"

It's also a scam through Gumtree he works under lots of different names. Male and Female. Asks for money to be sent via Western Union before the house is viewed.

Laura

jesse said...

Thank you all for posting these.

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