Scam Studios
Although I have written about this scam before, the websites seem to be up and running again so I thought that I would show you some scamming websites in operation, how professional they can look, and the signs which give them away. You can also see for yourself the mechanism by which the scammers set up their traps.
The sites feature descriptions and photographs of real flats which have been stolen off genuine websites, and then put together in an impressive looking fiction. They target people who won’t be viewing the flat – the serviced apartment market.
Advertisements are run, most typically on a free to advertise directory, which direct enquiries to the website which has been established to present the non-existent flats.
Two such websites are:
You can look up the details of the owners of websites on the internet Scammer 1 Scammer 2 , and hence I was able to establish that unsurprisingly these two websites are in fact owned by the same person, and that this person owns 19 domains (sadly I have to spend $559.92 to find them out).
There is no doubt that the owner of these websites has given false information to the website host, they have been registered by:
Abraham Isaac
31 Queen Anne Street Marylebone
London, London W1G 9DL
Whereas there is actually a Doctor’s surgery at that address:
Dr. Leonard M Selby
31 Queen Anne Street
Marylebone
London
W1G 9HT
The phone number given on the website starts 070 ( 07023089852 ) – calls made to 070 numbers are anonymously transferred, and to rub salt in the wound – the caller pays the charges for the transfer!
These mobile-style personal numbers (beginning 070) give you fantastic flexibility for your business at no cost. 07-K numbers include free call forwarding to UK mobiles, UK landlines and landlines in over 180 overseas countries. This flexibility ensures that they are a perfect additional tool for roaming business people or employees ‘away from base’ – as well as for staff back at the main office. Customers dialling from the UK will have their calls diverted automatically at no cost to you.
Always ask for a fixed landline number or at least a UK mobile number if you are looking for a genuine transaction.
If you phone the scammer’s number or reply to their Ad. they will claim to be
Mr A. Rosso
Great British Homes
It’s a clever address to give as there did used to be a genuine property company at that address once but as can be seen from Streetview, they have vacated the premises .
So there you have a genuine scam in operation.
- Scam Properties are a Bargain. If it seems too good to be true – it is.
- Only deal with established businesses. Check out the address. Look for a working Landline Number, if there is only a number forwarding phone number move on.
- If it’s a business it won’t be advertising using free ads on Gumtree, Craigslist, et al
- Only pay by a reversible method (Credit Card, Paypal).
Thanks for this information, I was looking for a place to stay in London next week and found an ad through gumtree. I sent these people an e-mail but luckily I smelled a rat and after googeling the adress provided and the phone-number given I found your post.
These people have A LOT of ads out on gumtree. I am very happy I didn’t fall for this and paid these scammes money!
May,
If this Blog saves just one person’s money it was worth it. Well done to your Web Savvy, Googling a phone number is a very effective tool in sniffing out these rats.
My wife and I were seriously considering booking one of these studio apartments as well until she found your blog post.
You’ve saved more than 1 person a lot of money in this regard.
Thank you!
Thanks so much! You saved me and my husband too.
Thank you for the feedback! It’s good to hear that the blog is doing some good. There are lots of scams and I try to stay on top & report them as soon as I am aware of them, you can pull up all the articles from the “Scam” tag
I’m just surprised by the feedback from the website per follow:
http://www.citysightapartments.eu.pn/index.html
They have offered a very good price of 2-bedroom type of 70 GBP per night, in London city area. The deposit is 510 GBP which is inclusive of 300GBP security deposit (they claimed it’s refundable when check out). As i’m a tourist, i have no idea on the property at all. How can I know if this is the real thing or any advice?
Hi Nina,
The phone number is a mobile number. If you Google that phone number you find it on two other websites too. The prices quoted are way too low – e.g. Dolphin Square charge about £180/night, yet they are offered for £350/week.
We use mobiles too, I’m going to have to do something to differentiate us from scammers!
Just found your website via gumtree and google today (1 June). Have a look at http://www.ratedhomeservices.com – at least one property on there has all the trademarks of the pimlico-flats scammer (ludicrously low rent, refusal to allow viewing before large deposit is paid, alleged owner is not as on Land Registry title, 070 mobile nos.). Also gives 963 Fulham Rd as address. Another incarnation?
Thanks Granny, and well spotted. Do you know I can’t believe that they are still using the same website after all this time!
http://www.ratedhomeservices.com Is a SCAM! the prices are way low. I called thir 070 num and was answered by an African man. Seems shady and want a huge deposit on the place (40%) the name he gave was Cleve manger and Cleve donner.
The office address they gave was
Office Address 963 Fulham Rd London SW6 5JJ
Telephone
+44 (0) 7024032524
Cleve Manger
+44 (0) 7024032524
+44 (0) 7024024749
Th landlord name and bank info was Bank Name: Barclays Bank
Bank Address: 58 High Street North,Eastham,London,E6 2HW
Account Name: R Vijayakumari
Account Number: 33658996
Sort Code: 20-20-20
Swift / BIC: BARCGB22
IBAN: GB97 BARC 2020 2033 6589 96
Same owner’s name as was given to our near-victim for a W London house.
Thanks for this blog.
I can add more to the list:
http://managedcitybaseapt.com scam
http://managedvacationhomes.com scam
No Paypal or Credit Card accepted. Frequent typos in communications. Oh and unbelievable apartments at next to nothing prices.
Thanks, you saved us too!
Anyway is there any way I can find out whether this is a scam or not?
http://london.craigslist.co.uk/vac/2449348804.html
The apartment is located at #15 Hanson street,Paddington, and the reply email is signed Kahl Holmes.
What do you think?
There is no way of telling, but personally I wouldn’t even look on Craigslist – why would someone advertise there? Because it’s free? If I was renting this apartment out for £900/week (which is probably a bit low, but around the right amount for that flat) why wouldn’t I advertise it properly?
Thank you so much for this post! I almost fall into the trap, but I tried to ask the guy out to see the apartment, and he refused to do so. I then googled the address and found your post. Thank you so much! Btw. I do have his account information which he want me to transfer the money. Do you think I can call policy and got this guy?
Yes, tell the police, everything that makes the scum’s life a touch more difficult is worth doing, and hopefully they will have to close the account and open a new one.
Please publish the account details here for Google.
Thanks…you saved me too!
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Please try to publicise the article, for some reason this one post is having for benefit than many other similar articles.
thanks so much for posting this, i was seriously considering an apartment from this site but i see it looks EXACTlY like the site you’ve shown as an example of a scam site. http://www.reallinkhomeservices.com
Thanks a lot!
I can’t believe how you save me, I thought something was rotten when they had the save low prices for the entire year, no holidays or anything.
Thank you so much,
you’re doing us all a great favor by saving us the money and the feeling of being ripped off.
Thanks so much!!!
I am planning to move to London from New York and I’m already disgusted before I land…
Here’s another scam web site:
http://vacationplus.net
Going with the name George Spencer
Thanks for identifying this – the more we show the fewer people will lose money.
I too was scammed by Reallinkhomeservices.com
Cleve Manger has no conscience. He took our money, then let our 16 year old daughter and her cousin wait for hours after midnight, thinking he was bringing the key. They were terrified. He sent a note the next day saying that the person who was supposed to have done it was ‘disgusting’.
He’s the one who is disgusting.
I have written to Craiglist and asked them to ban him from publishing the flats.
Hi,
I just stumbled across the blog whilst checking out another fake website.
I’d like you to know that if you post details of any other fake rental sites at Scamwarners.com (as well as here) then positive steps will be taken to have the offending website taken down.
Please follow the link to the ‘Rental Scam’ Forum:-
http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=39&sid=7edc71f783a6262cb8a67818640ef2ad
[…] Amazing flats for vacationers £100 3bd 2000sqftMany, if not most of the flats listed on craigslist London are scams. Please read this: http://pimlico-flats.co.uk/blog/renting-studio-flats-in-london/see-a-rent-london-flats-scam-in-actio… […]
[…] (London) £100 1bd 600sqftSCAM ALERT: Be careful when letting a flat in London. Read this article: http://pimlico-flats.co.uk/blog/renting-studio-flats-in-london/see-a-rent-london-flats-scam-in-actio… We let a flat for our daughter for 3 nights and were scammed by Cleve Manger of Real link Home […]
[…] £100 2bd 1000sqftSCAM ALERT: Be careful when letting a flat in London. Read this article: http://pimlico-flats.co.uk/blog/renting-studio-flats-in-london/see-a-rent-london-flats-scam-in-actio… We let a flat for our daughter for 3 nights and were scammed by Cleve Manger of Real link Home […]
I WAS ALMOST TRAPPED… I HAD TO CLOSE MY ACCOUNT BEFORE THE MONEY WAS TRANSFERRED OVER… DON’T BOOK A FLAT THRU CRAIGSLIST UNLESS YOU SEE THE PLACE IN PERSON! THIS WAS THE CRAIGSLIST LINK:
http://london.craigslist.co.uk/vac/2673117958.html
HERE IS THE SCAMMERS INFO:
Chad Neri
(0) 7700 045448
UK FLATS, LONDON
HE (?) TRIED TO GET ME TO WIRE MONEY TO:
LLOYDS TSB BANK PLC
Account name: Mr.Harijs Mihailovs
Sort code: 309986
Account: 51147660
IBAN: GB05LOYD 309986 51147660
BIC: LOYDGB21 043
Swift: LOYDGB22
DONT USE WESTERN UNION OR ANY OTHER INTERMEDIARIES SUCH AS XOON.COM
[…] A shame the writer hadn’t seen our warning […]