Landlords tend to be cautious because there are so many dishonest tenants, & whilst the law goes to great lengths to protect tenants, it expects Landlords to watch out for themselves. Consequently tenants find Landlords quite hard work as we insist on proof that a tenant is going to be honest & responsible before we hand over our keys. Scammers pretending to be Landlords use this to their advantage.
In this scam, the “Landlord” advertises a very attractive flat – the flat is a bargain, it’s too good to be true! You can’t afford to miss it!!! These ads will pretty much be on free listings (Gumtree, Craigslist) or else will be in response to a Wanted Ad. that you yourself have put out. Nearly always fraudsters use our own greed to overcome our common sense. It is clear to you that the flat is a must have – you can tell from the advert, the description, the photos, even without seeing it, that you simply must secure it before someone else snaps it up. In correspondence it appears that you are going to be the early bird that gets the worm, the Landlord doesn’t realise how much their property is really worth, you are going to land the fish. But just as you have the bargain within your grasp the Landlord comes over all cautious. They want proof that you are Bona Fide. Have you got the money for the deposit & 1st month rent for the flat? Not for long – you are going to lose it in a second!
The “Landlord” suggests a foolproof way of your proving that you have the money. You simply send a relative (or a friend, or even yourself) the money by trackable means. You pay the money into Western Union for it to be sent to your relative. You get the receipt, & send a copy of the receipt to the Landlord to prove that you have the money. Nothing could be safer – you trust your relative to give you the money back so effectively it never leaves your possession & you can use it to snap up your bargain.
Only when your relative comes to draw the money out to return it to you, they find that someone with the receipt details & their ID has already withdrawn the money. Now don’t say that you wouldn’t fall for that, because lots of very intelligent people have fallen for it already, & lots more who haven’t read this blog are going to. I have copied below some of the correspondence used in the operations of this scam. Real people have lost real money.
The telltale signs of this scam are:
- Scammers always seem to be poorly educated, their correspondence is full of grammatical errors, & spelling mistakes. One day a scammer will learn to use a spell checker – then we will all be in trouble!
- The flat is a bargain, it’s too good to be true!
- The adverts appear on free listings such as Craigslist, Gumtree, or in response to a “Wanted” advert that you have placed.
- They can’t meet you
- Western Union, Moneygram
Some Real Life Examples
Hello
Thanks so much for your patroinising of my flat but i will want us to do its in this way and if you think you have`nt seen what you want to pay for i think if i send you the pics and i know you will see what it looks like and i want you to know that this is the best way for me to do it, i want you to know that it will be Ok for both of us,anyother things apart from this is fowl and if you want it in this way,dont hesitate to get back to me asap.
I will pay you immediately the money you used for the transfer called ,TRANSFER CHARGES,its just for me to show my lawyer the details that you paid for the deposit and Rent, so i can fixed an appointment with you to come and see your flat and for you to be sure you can secure the payment of the deposit via western union as follows you can go to western union to pay with your name as receivers and your boyfriends name as senders just e-mail me the details as follow to show my lawyer that you really paid or send me the scanned copy of the payment,to show to him ,
NAME OF SENDER……
YOUR RELATIVES NAME NAME OF RECEIVER…..
YOUR NAME MTCN 10 DIGIT CONTROL NUMBER…
AMOUNT SENT….
ADDRESS OF SENDER….
And it will be you only that can pick it up and when i get the details will call western union for confirmation if you really pay and will ringed you up also to fixed an appointment for 2morrow after which we both go together to western union and pick it up when you’re thru viewing and you pay me and i will handed over to you your key and the receipt which would have been prepared by my lawyer after i shown him the details and i call western union if you really pay and you’ll be able to move in anytime.
Hope this get to you in good condition.
Await your reply back
1)when you just get to western union, send the money by your friends name.
2)your name must be the reciever coz we will go to nearest western union to get the money when its time for viewing.
3)you will now send me the information so that i can comfirm that you really want to rent my flat.
4)when will get there and you did not like the flat,you will get you money back coz i`m only doing this coz there are some people that are just wasting people`s time and i dont have time to waste.
5)And the viewing will be schedule immediately
Hello .
It is a pleasure reading from you again, viewing the property is not
well executed on here i need a serious commitment before i can come
for the viewing because am now in Liverpool for some civil job now.All
you need to do is to transfer the security deposit and a month fees
to any of your friend,family partner,relative or anybody in U.k even
to yourself or anybody you trust through any western union agent
around you and scan the receipt you are given from the agents to me to
check if the money is available and immediately i see and confirm the
details,i will arrange for the view and after the view you will go and
collect your money and pay me cash in the presence of my lawyer to
prepare a rental receipts or anytime since i am 100% assured that you
are capable This is done this way for the safety and security of the
both of us because i don’t want to tell you to pay me before the view
and i need to be sure you are serious and for the charges it will be
deducted from the first month payment.if you can do this now i will
come for the viewing as possible . i wait to read from you soon.so
that we can arrange for the viewing. i will be waiting for the details,so
i can confirm and see if the money is available,so we can arrange for
the viewing and sign the contract agreement and receipts in the
present of my lawyer.
Cheers
******
Hello flatmate
Thanks for the mail and interest in my flat?Its good for you to come but before you can have access to view the apartment you have to complete the security fees of 400 GBP this is from the authority concern i will implore you to make the payment of the security and get the confirmation to view the said apartment without this security fees you have no acess to come and visit the apartment.i will be very happy to be sincere and honest with you due to my bad experience last week by a flatmate like you who wanna come over and view the flat but not knowing his a bugler.
I will want to let you know that if you really interested in my flat you will been to act fast and also pay security deposit and contact because a lot of people were really interested to be my flatmate both home and abroad and you need to pay secuity deposit for me to keep the flat for you and also let me know if you agreed to security deposit to keep the flat for you.Let me know if agree if so you should get back to me with your full name with contact address to prepare agreement for you to sign.
Hope to read from you again with the transfer details for viewing tomorrow so that after confirming the transfer details which my lawyer will issue a receipt you will bring along with you for viewing,
Cheers,
Hi
Really appreciate your mails,really am i looking for someone urgently to occupy the room, cus i have been with my uncle here for so long not until he got a job in west africa, as a director of one big firm, and he could not help but go, so he has gone and i dont want to stay alone in the home, so he asked me to look for a roomate. the place is located in ***********, St John’s Wood, London, NW8 0EH .
so if really you are intersted in the room, he his giving it out for 400pounds but you will have to secure the room by paying a deposit of about 200pounds.
The room has internet and it also has a desk and a chair for reading and writing, there is a private bathroom and toilet in it. its really nice.
once you are ready to make payment for the security deposit for the room, i will advice you to contact him, all discussion is with me but the payment goes to him cus he his in charge.
i will only entertain good questions, i only make him know when i do find someone that is serious and willing to get the room cus its urgent, like i told you that i wont want to stay alone in the house cus it will be boring to me, so i am going to israel tommorrow to meet my parent and i am not coming back until Saturday(already with my ticket, leaving first thing tommorrow morning), as soon as you have got the place secured, then the receipt you will get will be presented to me cus i will be home as soon as you made it.
little thing about myself, i am alittle quiet, fair in complexion, i dont party except on friday evening, i can sit for coffee maybe on saturdays, i am jovial, but sometimes serious. hope to meet you soon.
Do you have a picture of your self, if you do i will like to see it, hope you have seen mine.
hope to read from you soonest.
here is my Uncle email address: ***********@yahoo.com
His name is Mr. ****************
His number is +**************
******
I have attached the photos of my flat below. My flat is very close University and also the nearest tube station is Marylebone and Regent Park tube station is just about 5 mins walking.
General information
Address: Regent Street,
Neighborhood: Westminster,London,W1B 6UW
City: Central London
Rent: £300 per Month(s) for each room
Deposit::£700 (The security deposit with one month rent will be pay first thruWESTERN UNION,the security deposit is refundable after stay one week in my flat so if you agreed you may getback to me with full name with contact address.
Available: 10 MARCH 2008
Minimum Stay: 1 Month(s)
Flatmate description
Gender: Female Orientation: Straight
Smoker: Non Smoker Occupation: Professional
Age: 27 yrs old Pet: No
Preferred flatmate description
Gender: Doesn’t Matter Orientation: Doesn’t Matter
Smoker: Doesn’t Matter Occupation: Doesn’t Matter
Age Range: from 16 to 99 yrs. old Couple: Doesn’t Matter
Room and flat description
Dwelling type: Flat Floor #:
No# of bedrooms: 3 # of BR available: 3
No# of bathrooms: 3 Parking: Yes
Pet: Not Disclosed Flat Sq ft.: 0 Sq. Ft.
Room amenities: Furnished, Private bath, Hardwood floor, TV, Air conditioning, Closet, Private entrance
Home amenities: Washer/Dryer, Internet, Dishwasher, Yard, Pool
Comments:
Access to Health Club at no cost superbly located in the heart of the interesting and vibrant area of CENTRAL LONDON, yet with easy and convenient access into the City Center. is a recently developed area around large water basins and walkways with lots of entertainment and places to eat and drink.Let me know if is suitable with you if so you should be able to get back to me with Full name including your Contact address to make the agreement form for you to sign.
Sincerely
Hello Dave, You can stay in My property for as Long as you want and you dont haveto pay any Bills because all Bills is inclusive.we have to reach anagreement before you can be able to view the Property.I am giving thisflat away just because no one is making use of the house at themoment. and i hate to see it dirty every time. Its better for me tolet it out to someone who will make it clean and tidy. I hope youunderstand this. Well, Viewing the house is not a problem. But i willlike you to do a thing. I guess you will understand this. It’s in thepolicy my Lawyer has told me and i wish to abide by it. I won’t getany money from you now. So you will do a thing to make me believe youreally need the Apartment.I have been fooled several times and I hadto travel a long journey with my Lawyer to meet people who wants toview my property and at the end of the day they tell me they want tostay in the apartment for a month before they would pay me. I don’twant this to happen to me again so My Lawyer has advised me that Ihave to be sure that who so ever is renting my property should becapable of paying the cost of the rent. You will go to the nearest WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER aroundyou,Send to your Friend send the sum 1100pounds in western union. Themoney is still within you. I am not ready to get money from you as ihave said. All I need to see is the western union money transfer copyof receipt giving to you. Scan the western union receipt and send itas an attachment to my email just for me to view it and be sure youare ready to get the Flat. after viewing the house, and you reallylike it, You can go together to the western union location agent orbank around here to get the 1100 pounds back and we can reach anagreement on how you will move into the Flat. I will pay back to youthe charges you will be using in sending the money in western union.If you don’t understand, Here is an examples of how to do it….
SENDERS NAME………………..
YOUR NAME RECEIVER’ NAME……………….
YOUR FRIEND NAME. AMOUNT SENT…………………1100POUNDS.
Hello Dave,
I have an apartment on 97 Edgware Rd, London, W2 1ED, United Kingdom,Its an apartment with 2 Bed Room and a Living Room, Kitchen and Bathrooms Included.All bills is included.
I am presently in Bristol taking care of somethings here and I am willing to rent out my Property.
The cost of my Property is:
Security Deposit which would be refunded to you if nothing is damaged in my Property until you would be leaving which is 600 Pounds and the House Rent is 500 pounds/Month and all bills is included.
I have attached pictures of the Room and Living room for you.
I hope you would get back to be asap so that we can finalize this.
Best Regards,
Bruce.
and scan the copy of receipt to me in an email just for me to view it. and then i can pick you up and show you the Flat. Best Regards.Bruce.
