Craigslist + Move.com: How to Spot a Really Obvious Rental Scam
If someone offered you a luxurious two-bedroom rental in Chinatown for $1,000/month, all included, you'd figure it was too good to be true.
And you'd be right!
But here's the devilish part: Not only have these lily-livered scammers resorted to false domain names; they now write personably and with few grammatical irregularities!
Below, a simple guide to spotting similar scams:
- The location is too good to be true.
- The alternate location, mysteriously different from the first, is too good to be true.
- The pictures are too good to be true.
- The leaser claims to be using move.com, a reputable apartment rental site, but is in fact using a domain workaround (say, http://www.move.com.au.tt via http://joynic.com/) in order to break your heart.
- If step #4 confuses you, check the source code (apple + U on Macs).
- There's a COMPELLING FORUM ON YAHOO ANSWERS DEVOTED TO VERBATIM SCHEMES.
- Don't let your imagination run away with you, no matter how apartment-less or desperate or chemically altered you may be. And remember: That slightly grotty apartment in Shaw (or Brightwood, or Edgewood, or what have you) isn't so bad after all. Because it actually exists. And the landlady made you tea when you visited, rather than trying to rob you blind.
5:13 pm
Another sign, if you are renting a room and they offer to send you a cashier's check, then it is a scam.
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of Scam Victims United
12:17 pm
So... how does this scam work? Are they just trying to scam you out of first, last, and security deposits?
4:28 pm
Glad I researched move.com and found this site.
THANK YOU.
What a timely article!! The below email is what I received.
Thanks for taking the time to look at my property.
My name is XXX, I'm 48 years old, I'm a construction engineer and I'm the owner of this
condo(2 bedrooms,2 bathrooms,1100 square footage) .I lived in this beautiful condo for over 5 years and loved every day of it.
The condo is fully furnished with all necessary amenities(exactly like in the pics),Brazilian cherry floors; Luxurious kitchen with Viking appliances,
large kitchen island and Poggen Pohl cabinets; master bedroom/master bath includes an oversized marble soaking tub and separate shower; California
Closets walk-in closet in master bedroom;
The unit is equipped with recessed lighting, central air and heat, the condo come with two parking spots,a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture
(if you don't like it and you want use your furniture),there is also a linen closet, and most importantly, a new front loading stacked washer and drier.
Pets allowed.I've moved to United Kingdom with my job (i am a construction engineer) and decided to rent it because the rent is very expensive here.
The price is so low because I'm here and is very hard to find a tenant.I can rent you the condo for max. 5years .I really want to find a good and responsible
tenant for it, and I hope that you can send me some personal information about yourself.
The monthly rent is not negotiable, if you can pay the 3 months in advance it will be considered as 4 month's rent.
The monthly rent for the apartment is US $900. First month's advance, $900 deposit. Looking for someone to rent anywhere from 3 months to 5 years.
(water,electricity, Internet,cable, parking,air conditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account.
You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m the only person who has the keys and I have nobody in
United States that could show you the condo.In order to check it,see if you like it(I'm sure that you'll love it),you need to receive the keys and the contract.
Obviously we need a way to complete this deal in a safe and fast way for both.The solution is provided by a company called Move (http://www.move.com)
which will handle the payment and delivery of the Keys. A friend of mine moved here from California and used the company to resolve the same problem.
This procedure allow you to pay the rent only after you will receive the keys,after you will see it, decide if you will stay in the condo or not
( I will receive the payment after you'll check the condo).If you want to know more about how this deal can work please get back to me ASAP and
I will send you the details step by step.
Let me know if you are interested because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week.
These are some pictures of the apartment, please let me know if you received the pictures.
11:23 pm
Ted, I created a rental scam detection quiz if anyone is interested finding out if they are dealing with a scammer:
http://www.rentvine.com/tools/rentalscamquiz/
Dave Dugdale
3:26 pm
@Jake: Glad to be of service!
@Dave: Nice quiz! Though the scam in question (hereafter "The Chinatown Flimflam") only scored 42%.
6:53 pm
I got the exact same e-mail as Jake!!
10:46 pm
This is a real scam also occurring in Honolulu via Craigslist.
Got the same e-mail as Jake did almost verbatim.
Thank you Ted, for this wonderful article.
12:20 pm
Just got the same email from an "Alexandra Chandler." Beware the scam!
1:09 pm
This isn't the only real estate scam pattern on craigslist. I responded to an ad for a rental home that listed a physical address in DC. I looked up the property owner...and he told me that he had an agent using the name in the email to which I originally responded...but the rent was almost twice what was advertised. I don't know if the owner's was the con artist, or if someone thought there was an opportunity to be had, because they got the contact information for the owner's agent. All that matters is that the scammer was asking some pointed questions about income and household composition...while indicating that he was "a missionary" whose family was traveling to Africa for an extended period.
Sound familiar?
2:38 pm
I just received the same email from Alexandra Chandler who was advertising a lease in Houston, Texas on Craig's list. Thank you for sharing this info.
5:28 pm
I just received the same exact e-mail from Sharon Daniels renting a very nice condo in Minneapolis, just a heads up to others
12:08 am
I ALSO RECEIVED THE EXACT SAME E-MAIL RENTING A REALLY NICE CONDO IN SAN DIEGO, CA.
Thanks for taking the time to look at my property.
My name is Sharon Daniels, I'm 48 years old, I'm a construction engineer and I'm the owner of this
condo(2 bedrooms,2 bathrooms,1100 square footage) .I lived in this beautiful condo for over 5 years and loved every day of it.
The condo is fully furnished with all necessary amenities(exactly like in the pics),Brazilian cherry floors; Luxurious kitchen with Viking appliances,
large kitchen island and Poggen Pohl cabinets; master bedroom/master bath includes an oversized marble soaking tub and separate shower; California
Closets walk-in closet in master bedroom;
The unit is equipped with recessed lighting, central air and heat, the condo come with two parking spots,a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture
(if you don't like it and you want use your furniture),there is also a linen closet, and most importantly, a new front loading stacked washer and drier.
Pets allowed.I've moved to United Kingdom with my job (i am a construction engineer) and decided to rent it because the rent is very expensive here.
The price is so low because I'm here and is very hard to find a tenant.I can rent you the condo for max. 5years .I really want to find a good and responsible
tenant for it, and I hope that you can send me some personal information about yourself.
The monthly rent is not negotiable, if you can pay the 3 months in advance it will be considered as 4 month's rent.
The monthly rent for the apartment is US $800. First month's advance, $800 deposit. Looking for someone to rent anywhere from 3 months to 5 years.
(water,electricity, Internet,cable, parking,air conditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account.
You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m the only person who has the keys and I have nobody in
United States that could show you the condo.In order to check it,see if you like it(I'm sure that you'll love it),you need to receive the keys and the contract.
Obviously we need a way to complete this deal in a safe and fast way for both.The solution is provided by a company called Move (http://www.move.com)
which will handle the payment and delivery of the Keys. A friend of mine moved here from California and used the company to resolve the same problem.
This procedure allow you to pay the rent only after you will receive the keys,after you will see it, decide if you will stay in the condo or not
( I will receive the payment after you'll check the condo).If you want to know more about how this deal can work please get back to me ASAP and
I will send you the details step by step.
Let me know if you are interested because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week.
This is where the apartment is located: 655 India St. San Diego CA 92101
WHEN I RESPONDED TO THE E-MAIL, THE REPLY WAS:
Thank you for your reply.
Before going any further with anything I must remind you that for payments I will use the Move.com Company, Inc. They will secure our transaction.
I will open a CASE ID# at Move Company for this transaction and I will give them your Full Name, Shipping Info, Phone# and indicate you as my tenant.
After that, they will issue the invoice for our transaction, and they will ask you to send them a refundable deposit in 24 hours, according to their terms and policies.
Regarding the Payment, you will be instructed to deposit the amount to a Move.com Agent from United Kingdom. They will hold and insure your money
until you check the apartment and decide if you want take it or not. That is how their buyer protection policy works. As far as my concerns,
I will be glad to know that Move.com has the possession of the money during the delivery period. That is my insurance.
After the requested amount will be confirmed and validated, they will notify me immediately to start the shipping
of the keys, docs and necessary paperwork. The delivery will be completed in max 2-3 days after the amount requested will be verified and validated.
After you’ll receive the keys and the contract, the 10 days inspection period will start ( you’ll have 10 working days to see the apartment, read the contract,
decide if you keep the apartment or not).
In case you’ll take it you’ll have to send them a copy of the contract signed by you and they will release the money to me, if not you’ll have to send them
the contract unsigned and they will refund your money, the contract and the keys will be shipped back on my expenses! I will pay the shipping and
you’ll have to pay the money transfer fee for the refundable deposit.
Once again... I want to make sure that you will understand this simple, easy, fast and secure process from the 1st time:
1. If you have the amount available and if you want to rent my apartment, please DON'T FORGET to send me your Full Name, Shipping Address and Phone#
2. I will open a CASE ID# with Move Company for our transaction , and I will give them your Info, and indicate you as my tenant.
3. After that, the Invoice will be issued for our transaction.
4. After the amount requested will be deposited, they will notify me immediately to start the shipping.
PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS OF THIS VERY EVIL DEMON!!!!!!!
7:35 pm
I recieved the EXACT email as San except it was for a condo in downtown LA! My gut was telling me this was too good to be true and I am glad I did some research on this company. Thank you to everyone for posting your emails. Why can't people just be honest and not scam people!
8:24 pm
I too received the same string of emails from "Sharon Daniels" this time in Boston. I was really suspicious and actually pulled up the floor plans for the building the amazing "2br/2ba" condo for $800 was in, and the 5 units were all 1br/1ba. Also, the move.com secure transaction emails are sent through a dummy website: I called Move.com and I barely had the words "I have a question about a landlord with whom I'm doing a transaction through your company" out of my mouth, she said, "Let me guess, Sharon Daniels? Yeah the FBI is working to track her down."
BEWARE!
1:30 pm
Ugh. I knew it. We contacted this person off Craigslist for a DC apartment and it was WAY too good to be true. She listed it for $1100/month when a condo like in the particular area she listed is about $4000/month EASY. I responded to her email, stupidly, but then had a gut feeling to 'google' her name.
I'm not stupid enough to actually go through with that plan, so I emailed her again and wrote, "This is a scam. Thanks for wasting my time." hahahah.
3:08 pm
I had the same experience, in Portland, OR today. The photos and price were too good to be true, so I googled landlord scam + move.com and found your site, Thank you for educating people. Here is the email I recvd:
Hello,
My name is Sharon Anderson, and I am the apartment owner. At this moment I live in UK and the apartment from United States is my second home. I have a permanent contract here, and I am not able to use the apartment from US, so I've decided to rent it. I am not in a rush, I had big problems with my last tenant (he practically destroyed 80% of the apartment stuff in 2 weeks), and this time I want to be more careful.
I would like to know more information about you, the person(s) who will live with you, your job details, some references from your current landlord (if available). I've learned my lesson and i've insured everything in the apartment. The furniture and most of the appliances are new, under factory warranty, you will be the one who uses most of them. Everything is in proper working conditions.
The monthly rent is not negotiable, if you can pay the 3 months in advance it will be considered as 4 month's rent.
If you don't have the amount available for 3 months, the monthly rent for the apartment is US $800.00. First month's advance, $800.00 deposit. Looking for someone to rent anywhere from 3 months to 5 years... The money will be locked in a neutral escrow account, that will be unlocked only by you. The monthly rent includes everything (heating, Internet,TV, 2 parking spaces, electricity...).
I will not bother you with anything, I will make sure that you will feel like home as long as the rent is covered on time and the aparment held in proper conditions.
If the terms above are acceptable please contact me with the details i've requested about you. Then I will discuss with my husband and contact you with more details.
3:10 pm
second email from "Sharon Anderson":
Hi,
As we mentioned in our first email, the money will be locked in a neutral escrow account.
The escrow service that we want use is Move Corp. After consulting with some friends I found out that Move Corp is the perfect solution considering situation, they offer complete services to their customers. The rent payments go to a neutral bank account not directly to me - they lock the payments and pay me only with your approval.
Here are the landlord-tenant escrow transaction steps:
Step A : You send us your full name / birthday date / and an address (street, postal code, city) where you want the keys/contract to be sent to.
I register my property on Move Corp website and start a transaction with you as my tenant. They verify and approve and then they assign an Escrow Neutral Bank Account to our transaction (you will pay the rent to this account during the whole renting period. Please note that you can ask for a refund at any time.)
Step B : You send the deposit payment to the assigned Escrow Bank Account , they receive and lock the payment. You will be the only one who can unlock the payment and release the funds. Then they inform me that the payment is locked and I start the shipping tough Priority Mail and you receivethe keys/contract in 2 working days. You go to the apartment and makean inspection, if you are not satisfied within 10 days you can ask foryour money back. I am sure this will not be needed, this is only a formality.
Step C : You decide if you want to rent the place or not
_ C1 _ You rent the place, you sign the contract and send a copy to me by mail.
_ C2 _You don't want to rent the place, you request your money back, and you return the keys.
The monthly rent covers all expense (including parking space, electricity, no new contract or something like that)
Everything will be done according to the American Law (we will use the Standard American Tenancy Contract that 99% American people use - you will receive the contract signed along with the keys). When you decide if you want to rent the apartment you have to contact Move Corp and tell them to release the payment to me.
The apartment:
It's fully furnished (can be rented unfurnished also, you can deposit my furniture at the building storage area), fully accessorized. You have dishes, towels, sheets, 2 x LCD TV, DVD + sound system, toaster, coffee maker, micro wave oven, oven, washing machine (clothes and dishes), air conditioning , iron, radio, play station. Everything is brand new, unused, and also everything is insured so we will have no problems like we did last time. You also have 2 parking spaces. Everything is included in the rent, you will not be charged for anything else.
The rent will not be raised or lowered. We are very friendly, we will not bother you with anything, we want you to feel like home. We just want to be careful. I hope you understand.
So if our terms are acceptable and you decide that want to rent the apartment send us the information requested on Step A from the rental terms.
Thank you.
11:04 pm
Received a variation of same from "Sharon Anderson" in Portland today.
E-mail address this scammer is currently using: neverwalkalone019@ymail.com
12:45 am
fyi I got the EXACT same email as Margaret and he/she is using the email address sunland190@rocketmail.com for a recent listing on van ness in san francisco, Sharon Anderson as well.
1:04 pm
I received the same exact email as Jake, word for word from Sharon Daniels, but this time she is going for a condo in Philadelphia, 100 Leverington St in Manyunk, price the same, 800 a month, already furnished and all utilities included, I have a lawyer friend checking out all her information and that move.com company. I went past the address and the condo's beautiful, so I called the sales office and questioned them about it, someone also told me you can go to another site, not sure if it is BTF or BFT.com to check if theses ppl have electric bill on their names, all you have to do is put in a name and address
3:23 pm
Sharon Daniels has the same apartment in Seattle, WA too!
10:19 pm
also got the same email from Sharon Daniels (a construction engineer) about an apartment in DC
1:53 pm
Apparently, "they" have resorted to using the Remax name as well. The email I saw was from "Sharon Anderson".
1:00 pm
Happen to me the same, be affordable $1,100.00 a month!!! I also wrote back to ask the # of the appartment and I was told it was 9A, but the apartment does not existed. Here I am sending another mail SHARON DANIELS send me when I asked that all this transaction sound me like a FRAUD.
Don't worry I understand you very good, it's very hard to find a honest a sincere person this days.
The number of the apartment is 9A.
Please let me know as soon as you will complete the payment.
Thanks for taking the time to look at my property.
My name is Sharon Daniels, I'm 48 years old, I'm a construction engineer and I'm the owner of this
condo(2 bedrooms,2 bathrooms,1100 square footage) .I lived in this beautiful condo for over 5 years and loved every day of it.
The condo is fully furnished with all necessary amenities(exactly like in the pics),Brazilian cherry floors; Luxurious kitchen with Viking appliances,
large kitchen island and Poggen Pohl cabinets; master bedroom/master bath includes an oversized marble soaking tub and separate shower; California
Closets walk-in closet in master bedroom;
The unit is equipped with recessed lighting, central air and heat, the condo come with two parking spots,a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture
(if you don't like it and you want use your furniture),there is also a linen closet, and most importantly, a new front loading stacked washer and drier.
Pets allowed.I've moved to United Kingdom with my job (i am a construction engineer) and decided to rent it because the rent is very expensive here.
The price is so low because I'm here and is very hard to find a tenant.I can rent you the condo for max. 5years .I really want to find a good and responsible
tenant for it, and I hope that you can send me some personal information about yourself.
The monthly rent is not negotiable, if you can pay the 3 months in advance it will be considered as 4 month's rent.
The monthly rent for the apartment is US $1100. First month's advance, $1100 deposit. Looking for someone to rent anywhere from 3 months to 5 years.
(water,electricity, Internet,cable, parking,air conditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account.
You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m the only person who has the keys and I have nobody in
United States that could show you the condo.In order to check it,see if you like it(I'm sure that you'll love it),you need to receive the keys and the contract.
Obviously we need a way to complete this deal in a safe and fast way for both.The solution is provided by a company called Move (http://www.move.com)
which will handle the payment and delivery of the Keys. A friend of mine moved here from California and used the company to resolve the same problem.
This procedure allow you to pay the rent only after you will receive the keys,after you will see it, decide if you will stay in the condo or not
( I will receive the payment after you'll check the condo).If you want to know more about how this deal can work please get back to me ASAP and
I will send you the details step by step.
Let me know if you are interested because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week.
This is where the apartment is located: 1230 23rd St. NW Washington DC 20037
These are some pictures of the apartment, please let me know if you received the pictures.
Thank you for your reply.
Before going any further with anything I must remind you that for payments I will use the Move.com Company, Inc. They will secure our transaction.
I will open a CASE ID# at Move Company for this transaction and I will give them your Full Name, Shipping Info, Phone# and indicate you as my tenant.
After that, they will issue the invoice for our transaction, and they will ask you to send them a refundable deposit in 24 hours, according to their terms and policies.
Regarding the Payment, you will be instructed to deposit the amount to a Move.com Agent from United Kingdom. They will hold and insure your money
until you check the apartment and decide if you want take it or not. That is how their buyer protection policy works. As far as my concerns,
I will be glad to know that Move.com has the possession of the money during the delivery period. That is my insurance.
After the requested amount will be confirmed and validated, they will notify me immediately to start the shipping
of the keys, docs and necessary paperwork. The delivery will be completed in max 2-3 days after the amount requested will be verified and validated.
After you’ll receive the keys and the contract, the 10 days inspection period will start ( you’ll have 10 working days to see the apartment, read the contract,
decide if you keep the apartment or not).
In case you’ll take it you’ll have to send them a copy of the contract signed by you and they will release the money to me, if not you’ll have to send them
the contract unsigned and they will refund your money, the contract and the keys will be shipped back on my expenses! I will pay the shipping and
you’ll have to pay the money transfer fee for the refundable deposit.
Once again... I want to make sure that you will understand this simple, easy, fast and secure process from the 1st time:
1. If you have the amount available and if you want to rent my apartment, please DON'T FORGET to send me your Full Name, Shipping Address and Phone#
2. I will open a CASE ID# with Move Company for our transaction , and I will give them your Info, and indicate you as my tenant.
3. After that, the Invoice will be issued for our transaction.
4. After the amount requested will be deposited, they will notify me immediately to start the shipping.
10:21 am
wow i cant believe this person is really doing this! im so happy i found this website before i did anything with the money. My boyfriend and i had a feeling that it was too good to be true!!
but now she has another last name almost the same email. the name is SHARON ANDERSON here is the other apartment location that she claims to be renting.
*2 bedrooms, $800
1200 Brickell Bay Drive, Miami, FL 33131
And here is the new email that she has for this apartment.
Hi and thank you for your message about my apartment.
My name is Sharon Anderson, I am 58 years, and I am the owner.
The apartment (2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 1100 square footage) is fully furnished with all necessary amenities
(you have dishes, towels, sheets, LCD TV, DVD, and all that you need to feel maybe better than home).
You also have 1 parking space and a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture
(in case you want to use your own). Everything is in proper working conditions. Pets allowed. I am looking for somebody that will be able to rent my apartment between 3 months and 5 years, and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account.
It is the second time when I rent the apartment in the last 6 months, I had big problems with my last tenant (he practically destroyed 80%
of the apartment stuff in 1 month and my son had to renovate the whole place because of this), and this time I want to be more careful,
so it will be highly appreciate if you can send me information about you, the person(s) who will live with you, your job details if you have one,
some references from your current landlord (if available).
Please note that the monthly rent includes everything (heating, Internet,TV, parking space, electricity...).
The monthly rent for the apartment is US $800. First month's advance, $800 deposit.(if you can pay the 3 months in advance it will be considered as 4 month's rent).
I will not bother you with anything, I will make sure that you will feel like home as long as the rent is covered on time and the apartment held in proper conditions.
As I am not young, in 2009 I've decided that I can't live on my own so I decided that is better for me to live the rest of my life in peace
and joy taking care of my grandchildren, so now I am living in United Kingdom with my son. I don't have anyone in the US that can show you the apartment
so obviously we need a way to complete this transaction in a safe and fast way for both of us and the solution can be provided by a company called
Rental Source ( http://www.RentalSource.com ). A friend of mine moved here from California and used the company to resolve the same problem.
I am already a registered member of Rental Source because my apartment is insured with them, they offer discounts for seniors. Using their help you will
inspect the apartment before I receive the rent. (the rent payment will be locked until you decide if you want to rent the apartment or not).
If the terms above are acceptable, please contact me and I will offer more information about the step by step procedure. Let me know as soon as possible
if you are interested because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week.
Thank you!
PS: Bellow you will find more pictures. I hope the apartment suits you.
PS:SOMEONE NEEDS TO REALLY STOP THIS PERSON!
4:16 pm
same thing happened to me in philadelphia from sharon anderson on 3-2-10
1:19 am
Thanks for taking the time to look at my property.
My name is Samantha, I'm 55 years old, I'm a retired engineer and I'm the owner of this condo (total 900sqf. 1 Bedroom apartment, 1 bath fully accessorized). I lived in this beautiful condo for over 5 years and loved every day of it. The condo is fully furnished with all necessary amenities (exactly like in the pics), has a very large bedroom with spacious inbuilt wardrobe , living room with dining area, 1 bathroom, dishwasher, washing machine and clothes dryer. The condo come with two parking spots, a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture (if you don't like it and you want use your furniture). Pets allowed. Four months ago I moved to Bismarck, North Dakota at my sons place to take care of my 2 years old nephew. I really want to find a good and responsible tenant for it, and I hope that you can send me some personal information about yourself. You will live alone, this is not a share.
The monthly rent for the apartment is US $675.00. I want to receive first month's advance + $675.00 refundable deposit ($1350 TOTAL).
I am looking for someone to rent anywhere from 3 months to 5 years. Everything is included (water,electricity, Internet,cable, parking,air conditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account. You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m the only person who has the keys and I have nobody in the area that could show you the condo (my son and nephew are my only family). In order to check & see if you like it (I'm sure that you'll love it), you need to receive the keys and the contract by postal service (UPS/USPS 2 Days Delivery). Obviously we need a way to complete this deal in a safe and fast way for both of us and the solution is provided by a company called REMAX ( http://www.REMAX.com/ I am already registered with them since 5 years ago i purchased the apartment from their website) which will handle the payment and delivery of the Keys. They have a Tenant Deposit Protection, here you can see here how REMAX.com Payment Services work. They have a program that protects the tenants deposit and makes sure that the tenant is fully satisfied with the condo before I receive the money. In conclusion, the money will be deposited and locked in their custody until you will be able to view & accept the condo.
If you want to know more about how this deal can work please get back to me ASAP and I will send you the step by step procedure. Let me know if you are interested because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week. Please don't forget also to send some information about you and the people with who you will be living with.
Thank you,
Samantha.
7:13 pm
OH MY GOD!!! I got the almost exact same email and was ready to send the funds today - but oddly could not find the owner's name on the property tax records. Then started thinking that Western Union had not heard of move.com (and if they are supposed to use WU as a normal part of the process - that should not be the case. I am soo glad I ran into this. It saved me almost $1000.
12:49 am
Just almost got roped into the same thing!!!!! From Sharon Daniles she is now using the email pink.flowers000@rocketmail.com so beware!!!!
8:03 pm
Ugh! I have gotten the same thing from Ana... She's renting out a condo in Orange County, CA and I was excited at first... Good thing I had a hunch that it was too good to be true... Ugh! Seriously, they need to stop...
12:27 pm
53 Boerum Place, Brooklyn, NY
My name is Sharon Anderson, I am 58 years, and I am the owner.
The apartment (2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 1100 square footage) is fully furnished with all necessary amenities
(you have dishes, towels, sheets, LCD TV, DVD, and all that you need to feel maybe better than home).
You also have 1 parking space and a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture
(in case you want to use your own). Everything is in proper working conditions. Pets allowed. I am looking for somebody that will be able to rent my apartment between 3 months and 5 years.
It is the second time when I rent the apartment in the last 6 months, I had big problems with my last tenant (he practically destroyed 80%
of the apartment stuff in 1 month and my son had to renovate the whole place because of this), and this time I want to be more careful,
so it will be highly appreciate if you can send me information about you, the person(s) who will live with you, your job details if you have one,
some references from your current landlord (if available).
Please note that the monthly rent includes everything (heating, Internet,TV, parking space, electricity...).
The monthly rent for the apartment is US $1100. First month's advance, $1100 deposit.(if you can pay the 3 months in advance it will be considered as 4 month's rent).
I will not bother you with anything, I will make sure that you will feel like home as long as the rent is covered on time and the apartment held in proper conditions.
As I am not young, in 2009 I've decided that I can't live on my own so I decided that is better for me to live the rest of my life in peace
and joy taking care of my grandchildren, so now I am living in United Kingdom with my son. I don't have anyone in the US that can show you the apartment so obviously we need a way to complete this transaction in a safe and fast way for both of us and the solution can be provided by a company called RE/Max International, Inc. ( http://www.Remax.com ) - one of the largest WorldWide Real Estate website.
I am already a registered member of RE/Max International, Inc because my apartment is insured with them, they offer discounts for seniors. Using their help you will inspect the apartment before I receive the rent. (the rent payment will be locked until you decide if you want to rent the apartment or not).
If the terms above are acceptable, please contact me and I will offer more information about the step by step procedure. Let me know as soon as possible if you are interested because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week.
Terrible!
9:39 pm
THANKS FOR ABOVE COMMENTS, I'M GLAD I LOOKED AT IT.
SAME REPLY .... HAS BEEN SENT TO ME ASWELL
I GOT SUSPICIOUS WHEN SHE IS SAID LIVE IN "UK" and pay for three months in advance it going be consider for 4 months.
Cheers,
Neel
7:53 pm
Hello,
Thanks for taking the time to look at my property.My name is Lily Oscar, 38 years old and I'm the owner of this condo(2 bedrooms,2 bathrooms,1100 square footage).I lived in this beautiful condo for over 5 years,loved every day of it.The prime location can't be beat, and the garaged parking is an amenity sure to be appreciated by anyone who has lived in a big city. The condo is located at 1901 Walnut St,Rittenhouse Square Plaza-5 min from metro,between Sansom St and Chancelor St .The condo is fully furnished with all necessary amenities(exactly like in the pics),the unit is equipped with recessed lighting, central air and heat, the condo come with two parking spots,a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture (if you don't like it and you want use your furniture) ,there is also a linen closet, and most importantly, a new front loading stacked washer and drier...Pets allowed. The kitchen eating area is a large piece of granite that serves as counter space in the kitchen, and as the table in the Living Room side. The counter seats 4 comfortably. The entertainment center is a beautiful credenza that is topped with a brand new 55' High-Definition lcd tv. The stereo acts as the 5 speaker surround sound for the tv, the radio and cd player. The stereo also is a dvd player and is capable of having an i pod plugged right into a usb port.The Master Bedroom is large with high ceilings, has two windows, a walk-in closet and it has it's own bathroom. The room has a large, very comfortable Cali-King bed. There are several dressers with an ample amount of drawers. The room also has a desk with several drawers and a file cabinet. The walls are decorated with nice artwork and floating shelves. The bathroom has a large, tiled shower stall behind a glass door. The vanity is covered with a beautiful piece of granite and between the vanity, shelves and medicine cabinet, there is plenty of space for toiletries.The Guest Bedroom is actually larger than the Master. It has high ceilings, two large closets and a dresser with two matching nightstands. There is one window, a coffee table and a brand new chair and ottoman. Just outside the door two the bedroom is the Guest Bathroom. The guest bath features a large jacuzzi tub and shower. The vanity is large and is covered with granite. There is also a linen closet, and most importantly, a new front loading stacked washer and drier. The area is clean, safe and beautifully.I've moved to United Kingdom with my job and decided to rent it because the rent is very expensive here.The price is so low because I'm here and is very hard to find a tenant.I can rent you the condo for min. 1 month and max. 6 years(or more).I really want to find a good and responsible tenant for it, and I hope that you can send me some personal information about yourself.The rent for the whole condo for 1 month is $900 including all utilities(water,electricity, internet, cable, parking , airconditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and the security deposit is $900(you'll get the deposit back at your departure-or you can use it to pay your last month of rent) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account. You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m the only person who has the keys and I have nobody in United States that could show you the condo. In order to check it, see if you like it(I'm sure that you'll love it), you need to receive the keys and the contract.
If you want to rent the condo, please e-mail me back and I will explain you how the payment and shipping will take place!
Regards,
Lily Oscar
Initially this was on craigslist
I just replied to her and then saw this. Glad I saw it at the right time. Thanks guys!!
3:28 pm
Got the same ridiculous offer. Glad my friend researched it as well.
10:25 pm
I just got the exact same email from a posting of an apartment on Craigslist in Pittsburgh, PA.
Thank you for saving me from this scam!!!
11:29 pm
What a scam!! I searched and found postings on craigslist all over the US with the same description and same pictures of the 2 BR apartment!
I got the same email response posted above, word for word, but with the name Jessica Hanson using crazylove3500@yahoo.com.
10:39 pm
OMG!!!! me and my roomate almost fell for this one. still cant believe it. Jessica Hanson hansonj234@ymail.com what a fraud.
1:10 am
Jessica Hanson is at it again - Providence, RI.
My name is Jessica Hanson, I'm 48 years old, I'm a construction engineer and I'm the owner of this condo(2 bedrooms,2 bathrooms,1100 square footage) .I lived in this beautiful condo for over 5 years and loved every day of it.
The condo is fully furnished with all necessary amenities(exactly like in the pics),Brazilian cherry floors; Luxurious kitchen with Viking appliances, large kitchen island and Poggen Pohl cabinets; master bedroom/master bath includes an oversized marble soaking tub and separate shower; California Closets walk-in closet in master bedroom; The unit is equipped with recessed lighting, central air and heat, the condo come with two parking spots,a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture
(if you don't like it and you want use your furniture),there is also a linen closet, and most importantly, a new front loading stacked washer and drier.
Pets allowed.I've moved to United Kingdom with my job (i am a construction engineer) and decided to rent it because the rent is very expensive here.
The price is so low because I'm here and is very hard to find a tenant.I can rent you the condo for max. 5years .I really want to find a good and responsible
tenant for it, and I hope that you can send me some personal information about yourself.
The monthly rent is not negotiable, if you can pay the 3 months in advance it will be considered as 4 month's rent.
The monthly rent for the apartment is US $750. First month's advance, $750 deposit. Looking for someone to rent anywhere from 3 months to 5 years.
(water,electricity, Internet,cable, parking,air conditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account.
You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m the only person who has the keys and I have nobody in
United States that could show you the condo.In order to check it,see if you like it(I'm sure that you'll love it),you need to receive the keys and the contract.
Obviously we need a way to complete this deal in a safe and fast way for both.The solution is provided by a company called Realestate (http://realestate.msn.com)
which will handle the payment and delivery of the Keys. A friend of mine moved here from California and used the company to resolve the same problem.
This procedure allow you to pay the rent only after you will receive the keys,after you will see it, decide if you will stay in the condo or not
( I will receive the payment after you'll check the condo).If you want to know more about how this deal can work please get back to me ASAP and
I will send you the details step by step.
Let me know if you are interested because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week.
This is where the apartment is located: 100 Fountain St Providence RI 02903
These are some pictures of the apartment, please let me know if you received the pictures.
12:10 am
Received the same email. I am in Portland, OR. Beware!
11:24 am
1) rent much lower than market (creates urgency)
2) unable to view apartment (scammer doesn't own it!)
3) payment through site that does not actually protect renter or payment via Western Union/Moneygram (your money is gone)
I got one of these while looking for an apartment in Washington DC. I did not go past step 2