Nigerian Scam! (Right?)

[PEERless]

Check out this E-mail trail re: my apartment ad on Craigslist. Am I right to be skeptical?

From Him:
I would like to know if the property you listed is still available and with regards to the property I am inquiring about, I will like to get some more details about it, I am currently in the Uk and I am Relocating down to the US to do a survey for my employer ( MMH Insurance Group (UK), as we are about to open an office in the state, so due to my non presence to inspect the Property, I will like you to give me the below details,

# I need full details including address of the property and pictures if available for the place.
# Monthly rentals/security deposits.
# If utilities is added to monthly rent.
# When the property would be available.
# Mail me the total move in cost.

From Me:

1. see pictures at PEER Apartments.
2. $700/ month for 12 months. $1000 deposit.
3. +$50-$100 for electricity
4. Available now.
5. Total (first, last, and deposit) move-in = $2400

But first, you must apply and pay the $20 application fee.

From Him:
I want the lease to start on the 10th Jan 2009, I will also want to
notify you that I have in the mean time arrange with an interior
decorator who will be handling the purchase of furniture's,
entertainment system and other appliances that I will need in the
property, they will as well be in charge of moving down my luggage's
down to the states. So the check of $5,350 will be sent over to you
which is a relocation grant by my employer, and all you need to do is
deduct the deposit $2400 and you will forward the rest to the
Decorators so I can have the place all prepared for my arrival. All
applications and lease will be signed as soon as I arrive.
Also for familiarization I Am Chang Lee, I am 37 yrs of age, a British
citizen, married to a lovely lady, with a daughter, I work with MMH
Insurance Group (UK), as a loss adjuster agent, I am a Christian,
reserved in Nature, Non smoker also i don't keep pets....
Below is my present landlords information for reference :

From Me:
Unfortunately, the Nigerian money scam is well-known all over the world. Good luck. I hope you can find an honest career one day soon.

From Him:
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

From Me:
Sorry, it's a well-known scam. You can apply for the apartment just like everyone else. My apartment: my terms. I would recommend not participating in this fraud. Prison sucks. Until I receive your properly filled out application (with application fee), I will not hold the apartment for you. I require credit and background checks of my tenants.

From Him:
OK SEND ME THE APPLICATION FORM SO THAT I CAN HAVE IT FILLED FOR YOU
TO HOLD THE APARTMENT FOR ME.

From Me:
I have sent the link. It is available for download at my website. Send it to the address provided with your $20 application fee. Thank you for applying.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

scam yes.

 

[bflbob]

Damn you!!!

That was MY tenant!

(But mine was a doctor.)

 

[PEERless]

Thanks! I was just surprised by the "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" If I'd been caught red-handed in such a situation, I would cancel the E-mail account and disappear!

I felt like I had to reply to avoid allegations of discrimination... Maybe not?

 

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[bflbob]

Does this sound familiar???

Let's Get the Craigslist Scammers: Scammer Tries Scam on Rental Property Owner

 

[biophase]

I respond with something like this:

Thanks for responding, but unfortunately there was a typo in my ad, my home is no $1500/mo, it is $150,000/mo. Please send me first and last months rent and security deposit of $450,000 + $35 application fee.

They never seem to want it after that.

 

[Russ H]

Good call, Skyler.

Imagine how many landlords are being scammed right now?

Yikes.

-Russ H.

 

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[jaytrader43]

Some of them are in Jamaica too, but its a lottery scam. They say something like you won US$10,000,000 in the Jamaican lottery [Which only pays out US$ 1M max] and they email all over the world. There were some pretty high profile arrests, so watch out for emails from Jamaica too.

 

[PEERless]

Thanks for reassuring me, guys.

 

[jaytrader43]

I like to play with them though, make them give out personal information, send pictures, etc. ITs fun.

 

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[PEERless]

^I've seen that done (see 419Baiter). Some of them get really mean.

I don't think it's right to screw with them too much. In a lot of cases, the scammer is a person in abject poverty who has been led to believe this scam is a legitimate way to feed his family. That's why I normally respond with, "Good luck. I hope you can find an honest career one day soon."

 

[biophase]

In a lot of cases, the scammer is a person in abject poverty who has been led to believe this scam is a legitimate way to feed his family.

WTF? Are you serious?????

 

[PEERless]

See the 419 Coalition for more. It seems middle-class "entrepreneurs" hire poor employees to run these scams in high volume.

 

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[jaytrader43]

It is true that some are in abject poverty, but you have to think where the money goes. Some of the Jamaican scammers use the money to purchase guns...and this country is violent enough. Also, they need to learn to make money honestly, I mean if you tell them "I hope you find an honest career", they won't do anything. By wasting their time, I may be stopping them from scamming another person in the same time.

 

[msa1]

What are they fishing for? From Craigslist, I usually people that are "medical students" of some type. They pretty much ask everything thats in the ad (how many bdrms, etc.. ) then tell me they have to be in very quickly, and of course want to pay the whole year up front.

Its obviously some sort of scam but whats the deal? Are they looking for an account number to drop this large payment in?

 

[bflbob]

What are they fishing for? From Craigslist, I usually people that are "medical students" of some type. They pretty much ask everything thats in the ad (how many bdrms, etc.. ) then tell me they have to be in very quickly, and of course want to pay the whole year up front.

Its obviously some sort of scam but whats the deal? Are they looking for an account number to drop this large payment in?

They send you a check for the deposit and first months rent, and some extra for ""furniture and decorations". The furniture guy calls a few days later and asks you for payment.

No trouble...the med student sent you $10,000, and the rent is only $1,500. So, you write a check to the furniture company for $1,200 or so. Your check to him clears, but a week or two later the check the med student sent to you bounces. (It takes some time for an overseas check or money order to clear.)

So, you think you are safe, sitting on $8,800 of his money, but his money never existed. You'll never hear from him again. Nor will the furniture ever come. Instead of the $10,000 you thought you had, you are out $1,200.

Don't try to beat them at the game. Just don't reply.

 

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[jaytrader43]

They send you a check for the deposit and first months rent, and some extra for ""furniture and decorations". The furniture guy calls a few days later and asks you for payment.

No trouble...the med student sent you $10,000, and the rent is only $1,500. So, you write a check to the furniture company for $1,200 or so. Your check to him clears, but a week or two later the check the med student sent to you bounces. (It takes some time for an overseas check or money order to clear.)

So, you think you are safe, sitting on $8,800 of his money, but his money never existed. You'll never hear from him again. Nor will the furniture ever come. Instead of the $10,000 you thought you had, you are out $1,200.

Don't try to beat them at the game. Just don't reply.

Well it is quite easy to beat them...I usually ask for a photo with a line I say he is to put on a paper, like "iScam" to prove it is real. Either that or I ask for a phone number. Another nice this is looking in the header for an IP address and running a DoS on it.

 

[hatterasguy]

This is why I hate craigs list all you get are weird people and scammers.

These scams are so old, anyone who falls for them now deserves what they get.

 

[bflbob]

Well it is quite easy to beat them...I usually ask for a photo with a line I say he is to put on a paper, like "iScam" to prove it is real. Either that or I ask for a phone number. Another nice this is looking in the header for an IP address and running a DoS on it.

How does that beat them? All you did was waste your time. They won't quit because of what you did.

But maybe I'm wrong? Have you actually successfully rented to someone like this?

 

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[jaytrader43]

How does that beat them? All you did was waste your time. They won't quit because of what you did.

But maybe I'm wrong? Have you actually successfully rented to someone like this?

Oh, I don't rent, I'm 16 lol, but I get those lottery emails saying I won millions. A DDoS with a few friends can knock out this person's internet for a few hours though, not really much comfort, but it sends a message.

 

[TaxGuy]

This is why I hate craigs list all you get are weird people and scammers.

I have had mixed results, thankfully I only do roomsharing, my dad has gotten tenants for our 3-flat in the city, but I've actually gotten 2 great roommates from craigslist and the funny thing is the first one I was a little skeptical that it was a scam even though he had a CA cell phone # and said he was from Milwaukee, well after doing some DD found out he went to school at USC and is a traveling software consultant and it was a sad day when he moved out b/c he was everything and more you could ask for in a roommate/tenant(paid rent on-time and even early some months, kept place clean, helped out around the house and was just fun to chat/hang out with).

I also had a guy who turned out to be a registered sex offender(offense was with a small child too, so pretty much the scum of the earth!) and I was put in a difficult spot b/c I didn't want to seem "discriminatory", but thankfully for roomshares you can be more strict as they are living with you instead of just in a property of yours. Scariest thing is that he seemed like a normal guy and was anything but, perfect example of not judging a book by its cover...

 

[PEERless]

Some of the Jamaican scammers use the money to purchase guns.

LOL, where'd you get that info? And what does it matter. I use my income to buy guns sometimes too.

 

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[jaytrader43]

LOL, where'd you get that info? And what does it matter. I use my income to buy guns sometimes too.

The news...lol...also, you buy your guns for protection, they buy their guns to help influence elections.

 

[PEERless]

^ Fair enough. I'd be wary of not responding or of being too rude. In that one odd case where a legitimate applicant sounds like a scammer, you could be facing a fair housing law violation.

 

[reipro]

This is funny we just got the same scam. Our guy was a tech guy moving here. Our guy wanted to know if he could send extra money so we could accept delivery of furniture. We actually got the check it had the correct name of the company, address, routing number and account number. I called the company and this has happend to them about 30 times in the last year.

He then called and said he had cancelled the furniture and wanted me to money gram him back the $3k that was included for the furniture.

I told him it had already been delivered and there was some damage and I needed extra money to get it fixed before he got here!!!!!!! LOL:iamwithstupid:

He said he would send another check. Hell he even paid to have it Fed Exed the first time.

 

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[WhipYaHead]

I didnt even read it the whole thing, I stopped at,
" I would like to know ", They ALL start off saying that.