Rental scams?

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 8:54 pm

Hey publings...
Here's the thing.
We've got a house available for rent.
I just got an email from someone claiming to be in the UK "in the medical profession" (though the address is yahoo.com.au) saying he and wife would like to rent our "apartment" (even though it's a house,) when they relocate
to the US in a month.
He said he saw my ad online. I only advertised in the paper, and flyers at U of MD grad school outpost nearby.
(An outfit did call when my ad first appeared and took some particulars--supposedly a deal where the person seeking a rental pays them, because I wouldn't pay them. Perhaps that's the source of the online listing.)

Red flags go up for me when I get any email from someone about a business transaction--especially when their English is even slightly funky.
Am reluctant, even if the person is legit, to make any rental agreements with someone I can't meet ahead of time.
Any thoughts?

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:14 pm

My $0.02: Trust your instincts.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:33 pm

Well, his email address could easily be in Australia (sp)---he could be doing research, whatever, for a year in various countries and decided webmail would be easiest to deal with so he could check his email from any computer. That doesn't seem too strange.

Conceivably, anything for rent might be called an apartment by some people, as opposed to a house which might imply ownership.

I would email him back and ask how he heard about it online and then I would check that listing. If you can explain how it got there, e.g. by the renter paying someone to find listings---then I would think he is worth talking to.

I don't know if you are close to NIH, but if so the "medical profession" thing would then make a lot of sense.

You could ask for some email addresses or phone numbers from him so you could check his employment references---that he really worked somewhere in Australia or the like and maybe a reference here to verify that he has a job lined up here.

But, at the same time, I wouldn't encourage you do to anything you weren't comfortable with.

I guess phone calls would be expensive, but I would want to speak to him on the phone.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 3:41 am

Sounds iffy to me...very iffy.
Over here on Albions shore there are letting agencies all over the place who do everything that needs to be done when you want to let a property/apartment.They work of a commission basis and would not be all the worried about the quality of tenant as long as they got their cut on the deal.There are horror stories in the propety pages every sunday about these guys and I was thinking that they may have an agent near you who saw your add.
Dodgy syntax is always a warning sign which should not be ignored.
Now Emm, this is no time for false modesty and as you are a very intelligent woman with a good grasp on the foibles of human nature,my little bit of advice - for which I would not dream of charging you for

- would be to ignore this communication and rent the place to somebody that you have sat down with, face to face, and can then form an opinion on their decency and suitability as tenants.
I don't know the situation over there but I do know that here ,once sombody is in a property,it can be very hard and fiercely expensive to get them out.
Go with your instincts on this one - they have served you well in the past..have they not?

Slan,
D.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:40 am

dubhlinn wrote: Go with your instincts on this one - they have served you well in the past..have they not?

Slan,
D.

yes, and badly when I've ignored them.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 6:01 am

Greetings in the name of God, I am a Docter and my wife is a priest so you know trust me perfectly I am. I like very much to rent your condimentium and since I am soon to be in US it would be beneficial for both parties for this transaction. Trusting me being Doctur of medial profession and trusitng you being most trustworthy lady I know, I will send to you by Western Union money order in amount of $10,000. Then, you keep from this money order the money for renting the condiminimum, and send back to me also by Western Union money order the remainding money. I can only do this for of course I am in UK and have no bank account in your country, and here in UK I am able only to send money this way. I know you are very kind lady and know also that I am genuine member of UK medial professional, being a doctor highly placed and most trusted.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 6:05 am

Don't ye just love these slow, lazy Sunday afternoons in Merrie England.......?

Slan,
D.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 6:12 am

Blimey is it the afternoon already? I blame myself for having no hangover this morning!

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 8:28 am

GaryKelly wrote:Greetings in the name of God, I am a Docter and my wife is a priest so you know trust me perfectly I am.

Sorry, but I only rent to royalty displaced by coups, preferably with large bank accounts they need to sneak out of their former regimes.

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:48 pm

If he is doing research in this country he should be quite traceable and accountable. References are in order. I wouldn't let bells and whistles go off just yet. If indeed he's legitimate they may well be ideal renters.

Of course if you're going to get a bank check for some exhorbitant amount and are expected to send a Western Union wire for the balance, you should rethink.

EDIT:

I don't know where I got the idea that they were coming for research...but beyond that, you may want to look at your local paper online...the ad may well be there!

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:30 am

While scanning the list of posts I thought this said, "Rectal Scans"

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:31 am

I'd be very wary of someone who is so evasive about their job details. Why not just say "I am Doctor/Nurse" etc?

I'd be more suspicious of an Englishman who uses the word apartment. We just don't say that here.

I'd be even more suspicious of an Australian living in England who wished to move to America but didn't come clean about his nationality and previous movements at first contact.

In short, unless you're desperate to rent out to this guy, I'd steer clear.

aderyn_du · Post by **aderyn_du** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:50 am

Emm, I do customer service for RentClicks, which is an online advertising resource for landlords, property managers, and property owners. This is a common scam that I receive tons of calls about-- DO NOT RESPOND OR TAKE ANY MONIES. They commonly say they are from the UK (not that they actually are, that's just what they say), and will often have UK email addresses, like yahoo.uk, and they will often say they are in the medical profession.

This is a scam alert directly from our website:

*********************
Attention Customers

Please be aware of an internet scam that some of our customers have encountered. A potential tenant will overpay you a large sum of money in the form of a cashier's check, and ask for the difference back. Do not send any money; the check is fake. If you have any questions about this or other questionable activities, please call our customer service center at 1-888-501-7368.

Information about “Check Overpayment” Scams

* FTC article regarding cashiers check overpayment:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/12/checkoverpayment.htm
* File a complaint with the FTC:
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.star ... _CODE=PU01
* “Citizens are warned that fraudulent cashier's checks are not limited to Nigerian scams, but are used in a variety of transactions. Victims of a cashier's check scam should contact their local law enforcement agency. Victims of the Nigerian cashier's check scam should also contact their local Secret Service Field Office by phone.”

Other Courses of Action

1. The United States Secret Service continues to be tasked as the primary US law enforcement agency in dealing with Advance Fee Fraud (419) matters. US Citizens or Residents with no financial loss may email 419er documents to the United States Secret Service at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov where they are archived for future datamining. Only No Loss reports are to be sent to this email address. Due to the sheer volume of materials received, USSS does not respond to submissions to this address.
2. United States Citizens and Residents who have suffered a financial loss are instructed to contact the nearest Field Office of the United States Secret Service (USSS) by telephone.
3. You may also file a Financial Loss complaint online with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), which is being renamed the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). This organization is a partnership of the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Tips in Dealing with Cashiers Checks

* Never accept a cashier's check for an amount greater than the purchase price.
* Call the bank that issued the cashier's check when you receive it. Do not rely on the phone number that the buyer gives you. Locate the bank's number from a reliable source, such as a phone book.
* When calling a bank, verify the following information: the check number, the name of the person to whom the check was issued, and the amount of the check.
* Be sure to wait until you can verify the authenticity of the check prior to giving the buyer the goods. Sometimes these "buyers" wait to give the seller a check on the weekend or when banks are closed, and the check cannot be verified right away

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:58 am

Run away as fast as you scam!

StewySmoot · Post by **StewySmoot** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 5:36 am

If you look up the originating IP address at

http://www.completewhois.com/

you will find that the source is probably an Internet cafe in Lagos, Nigeria or Cote d'Ivoire.