Information on romance scams and scammers.
by SJ1 Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:07 pm
I have been looking at property rentals on Gumtree for places in London and, I'm not sure if I'm being to skeptical but I have discovered numerous suspicious rental properties and even some which seem legit on gumtree, have sent reply emails which seem pretty dodgy.

Do you think Barry Lewis is a scam?


Hello,
I did get your response concerning the ADVERT i posted on GUMTREE. The apartment is still available but I'm not around presently. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago inWest Africa and fortunately i won the bidding so i have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because i will still have to rebid for it in the next 16months. I came over here with my wife (Vivian) and my Daughter (Tracy), I know there is no way i can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won't be able to meet in physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the apartment. But i just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure in a good place should know that maintaining our home ok.

Bond Deposit :- 200p
Pets Allowed: Cats, Dogs etc.
Available Date: Available Now!

Our propety has utilities like :- Stove - Electric ,Refrigerator, Microwave ,Ice Maker ,Full Kitchen ,Coffee maker ,TV/VCR ,Stereo ,Phone ,Linens provided ,High Speed Internet,CDPlayer ,Cable/Satellite TV,Double/twin zip & link beds and a child's cot can be provided ,Fitted wardrobe, Kitchen Electric hob/oven,Kitchen utensils ,Microwave ,Washer & dryer, Refrigerator & freezer ,Toaster ,Electric kettle ,Iron and ironing board ,TV & DVD ,Telephone and Fast internet access ,Pedestal Fan ,Free parking.

Please if you are interested to occupy my house kindly provide the information below for record purpose :-

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name___________________________________
Current Address_______________
Apt#________
City_____________
State______
Zip Code________
Home Phone ( )___________________
Mobile Phone ______
Date of Birth_____________________________
Reasons for Leaving____
Rent $_____
Are you married_____________
How many people will be living in the house______________
Do you have a pet_______
Do you have a car________
Occupation______________________
Monthly Income____________________
Move In Date____________
HOW SOON CAN YOU HAVE THE DEPOSIT PAYMENT SENT TO ME____
HOW SOON DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THE KEYS AND DOCUMENTS OF THE HOUSE___________________________
You could give me a call as soon as possible so we could proceed asap...

LEASE TERMS
Month to Month

Please note you will not be able to have a look at the interior until i have sent the keys of our home to you and the requirement for getting the keys of the home is a full refundable security deposit, but i am giving you a benefit of doubt that you will love everything about this lovely home.


YOU CAN REACH ME ON THE NUMBERS BELOW
+234-803-625-6296 or 011-234-803-625-6296.

I Await your response so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you.

Best Regards.

Barry.

...............................

could also be the same guy: http://www.dotmed.com/forums/?forum=1&tid=5020
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by Dora Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:42 pm
SJ1, I can assure you it is a scam. Just googling certain parts of the email and look what I found right here on SW:

I did get your response concerning the ADVERT i posted on Gumtree. The apartment is still available but I'm not around presently. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately i won the bidding so i have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because i will still have to rebid for it in the next 16months. I came over here with my wife (Lizzy) and my Daughter (Ella), I know there is no way i can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won't be able to meet in physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the apartment. But i just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure in a good place should know that maintaining our home ok.


viewtopic.php?f=39&t=13041&p=40023

Our propety has utilities like :- Stove - Electric ,Refrigerator, Microwave ,Ice Maker ,Full Kitchen ,Coffee maker ,TV/VCR ,Stereo ,Phone ,Linens provided ,High Speed Internet,CDPlayer ,Cable/Satellite TV,Double/twin zip & link beds and a child's cot can be provided ,Fitted wardrobe, Kitchen Electric hob/oven,Kitchen utensils ,Microwave ,Washer & dryer, Refrigerator & freezer ,Toaster ,Electric kettle ,Iron and ironing board ,TV & DVD ,Telephone and Fast internet access ,Pedestal Fan ,Free parking.


viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9395


I am blatantly stealing Michelle's advise because she says it so much better than I could:

The thief will tell you that you can rent his accommodation only if you can prove that you have genuine interest. He will ask you send money by wire transfer (normally Western Union) to yourself or a member of the family to show that you have sufficient finances and that you are not a "time waster".

Another variation of this scam is that you need to send money (again via Western Union) in order that the keys and other documents can be couriered to you

He will ask you to send him the transfer details.

Make no mistake ! Western Union Transfers can be picked up virtually anywhere in the world and with the minimum of identification. They are almost impossible to trace once the money has been collected. You will never get to see the accommodation or your money again.

If you are reading this because you are looking for property to rent, and you are in contact with this thief you are probably searching Gumtree or similar listing sites. If you receive any requests from 'Landlords' asking for some kind of payment by Western Union before viewing, then it will also be a scam. Please forward the mail to me at the address in my signature line and I will investigate and list them if necessary.


Though your scammer might not be the same as the one Michelle posted, have no doubts -- IT IS A SCAMMER!

Feel free to post up more and ask any questions you may have. :D
by SJ1 Thu Dec 16, 2010 4:39 pm
Thanks for the feedback. I do actually have a question. I as wondering what the usual or the best way is to go about picking up the keys etc. I have been to see a nice apartment which is a flat share with one tenant who is the owner. If I make a deposit do I do it before or after i pick up the keys? The owner says they have had some bad experiences and wants all my details (passport, reference, bank details- to show i have enough in the bank to pay the rent, confirmation from work, etc) which of course dont mind giving. should I ask for details about them? and what should I know? Should I get a reference or something? The deposit is 6 weeks rent and I also have to pay 1 month rent in advance. Is this normal?

Thanks
SJ1
by Dora Thu Dec 16, 2010 7:29 pm
SJ1,

If you have seen the place in person, met the owner and are comfortable with the arrangements, I would advise that you exchange details as needed (whatever you give them, they should be willing to give you) and most reasonably there should be some rental agreement between you both. And I would believe you should get the keys at the same time you give them any money.

However, I am not extremely familiar with rentals outside of the US, so maybe someone else will post up with better advice. :oops:
by SJ1 Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:27 am
Thanks Dora, that helps.
by dcanal02 Sat Aug 27, 2011 1:48 pm
TOTAL SCAM!!!!!! I almost fell for it :( sad is I fell in love with that house and now I'm disappointed to see details were not true :( This is the e-mail they sent me.

Re: Interested in your listing

Thanks for your email and interest in renting my house..I am Nath Hemes, the owner of the house you are making inquiry of…Actually I resided in the house with my family, my wife and my only daughter before and presently we have moved out due to my transfer from my work now in Warsaw,Poland. Presently my house is still available for rent for $705 (rent already includes utilities).More so Now, i’m currently in the (West African)for an international Christian follower’s crusade.Pls i want you to note that i spent a lot on my property that i want to give to you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this house and want you to treat it as your own, It is not the money that is the main problem but i want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up.I also want you to let me have trust in you as i always stand on my word..

This is the address of the House is 1500 Ruth Deerman Place, El Paso Tx

It has a dramatic entry foyer with ceramic floor. Extremely spacious rooms throughout with lots of big windows…nice and light! New neutral paint and some newer carpet.....Very quiet, low traffic area. New fridge I believe its absolutely a perfect home for you and your family.Utilities include Water,Trash,Sewer,Gas Etc....

SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE RENT APPLICATION FORM BELOW.


RENT APPLICATION FORM.
Name (First name/ Middle name/Surname ) : __________?
Phone # : __________?
E-mail : __________?
Best time to call : __________?
How many proposed occupants : __________?
List all in addition to yourself including approx age : __________?
Present Address : __________?
City/State : __________?
Will you have pets : __________?
Please describe Breed, size : __________?
Personality of pet : __________?
Preferred move in date : __________?
Intended length of lease: __________?
Earliest possible date of deposit payment: __________?
Length of previous tenancy : __________?
Present occupation : __________?
Are you a section 8 applicant : __________?
Do you run a business from home : __________?
If so what kind of business : __________?
Do you work late night : __________?
Do you smoke : __________?
Do you drink : __________?


Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you…Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you,please we are giving you all this based on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that we have not seen yet and only putting everything into Gods hands,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this… The house is available for rent at the moment so you are free to move in as soon as you wish to…A Deposit of $700 (which happens to be the security deposit) is required before moving in…Feel free to call my number is ( +234-803-625-6296 or 011-234-803-625-6296).me for more information and arrangements on how to get the keys and other necessary documents delivered to you…The house will be available for rent for a period of 4 years so you have a choice of deciding how long you intend sm/property.

Thanks And God Bless You

Nath Hemes.
by Bubbles Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:58 am
Welcome to ScamWarners dcanal02. It is fantastic to hear that you discovered it was a scam before you sent money.

It will help others if you will post the email address the message came from. Thank you for your participation here

Bubbles, former Scamwarners moderator.

Rest in Peace 24 June 2015.

Gone, but never forgotten.

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