Apartment in BRUSSELL(BELGIUM) TO RENT

Hello, this is me, the to-be-scammed. I saw this ad in a free, craiglist type of Belgian site since I live here.I was searching for a place when I stumbled upon this ad. My first alert(but not alerted for a scam yet) was when no number was included in the ad. I thought that was only because he would get so many calls. This is the original ad(translatedtoEnglish), center of Brussell , 2 bedroom apt with a new lift and a floor by floor parking. Nice place and everything included, including cable tv, parking and utilities. PRICE IS 450 EUROS. A place like this in Brussell is usually 900-1200 minimum. THEN THIS HAPPENED!!!!

Hello,

First of all I'm sorry for my late reply but I had a lot to work and this is the time I could give you a message i hope that is not too late. You have contacted me about renting my apartment located in : Kortenberglaan 134 , 1000 Brussel. It has 2 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms and a total of 92 m². I am looking for someone who is responsible who can take care of it. Since you must know something about me, i have to tell you that i am a 45 years engineer married and i have one children. I work for a English company ( i took this job after an interview) and my contract expires after 6 years and this is the time when we will come back so you can rent it for any period but not more then 6 years. As a result of this I want to rent at this price and also to find the perfect person for my apartment. I am the owner of this apartment and is like that in pictures. The apartment is furnished, but I have the option of sending all my furniture into storage if you want to bring your own (no extra costs for you ). The rent/month is 450 EUR and the deposit asked is 450 EUR (as you know the deposit will be returned to you at the same time when you leave the apartment, informing me within 3 months). Utilities cost like water, electricity, Internet, cable tv, garbage, parking space are included in the price. You can move in the apt in the same day when you receive the keys but the only problem is that we have the keys with us because my wife didn`t know if she will stay here or not. I hope that we will find a solution.
Thank you for your interest and I will look forward to hearing from you soon only if you are truly interested in the apartment and you are not here only to waist my time.

Regards,
Ing. Daniel Isaiah
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My Reply
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Hey, thank you so much for your reply. That sounds very good to me. I started working in"PLACE"this month and the location would be perfect for me. When is it available, or should I ask when are you moving away? When would be a good time to see it? Maybe even today because I can after work, if you also have time after 5 or 6, is also fine with me. I will be around ...... before that and I can drive back to the city. If you can let me about the time then maybe I can come see it today and discuss the possibilities with you. Do you have a number or maybe you can contact me when you have time. MYNUMBER. Thank you very much.
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Hi,

Thank you for your reply but the matter is that I'm in United Kingdom already as i have told you.
The rent is 450 EUR and the deposit that you will pay only one time and will be returned to you at the same time when you leave the apartment is 450 EUR.
The money, I want to revive it monthly to my bank account (barclays bank account here in United Kingdom ). The apartment is ready for you, you will need only to receive the keys and the contract to check it, and see if you like it. Obviously we need a way to complete this deal, that will allow us to make sure we receive what we are after. In order of that I have found a way that i have used before to complete the deal safely. The solution is provided by a company MoneyBookers which will handle both payment and delivery of the Keys. By this company you can check the apartment and contract and i will be paid only if you will agree to leave in my apartment. If you are not familiar with this company service you can check MoneyBookers website: http://www.moneybookers.com/app/help.pl?s=escrow. I have used it for several times when i bought something from internet and from my opinion is a great service, now depends of you.
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Would you be so kind to send me the contract, you can EXclude any thing that you may think could be risky to reveal to a total stranger but, because we will be dealing with almost 500 EUROs per month, I would like to see the contract. Can you also tell me where are the keys? You said they are with you but how can go and look at the house today?? I hope you dont think I will sign any lease papers without looking at the house do you? Thank you, and I hope for a great partnership. Thanks>>>>>At this point he sent me a very well laided out contract with "belgian law" inserts all over the place.
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Hello,
Thank you again for your reply.
The time for rent you will have to tell me.
There is no hook the price is real and i am asking what price i want because i do not use a real estate agency. The furniture will be moved in a few hours if you don`t need it.
From the beginning I want to inform you that your payment will be in MoneyBookers custody until you will see the apartment and ONLY after your confirmation they will send the money to me or back to you depends on your decision.

I will explain to you step by step how this will work:

1 - To start this transaction I will need to know your full shipping information, full name, full shipping address to proceed with this deal;
2 - I will go to the MoneyBookers Office and leave the apartment keys and the rental contract in your name as the intended receiver;
3 - MoneyBookers will check the envelope to see if everything is OK with it and also the legal papers that will come along with the keys.
4 - MoneyBookers will send you the invoice notification to let you know they have the apartment keys and the papers in their custody;
5 - At this point you will have make the deposit 900 EUR ( first month and deposit ) on the MoneyBookers payment agent name.
6 - After you make the deposit you will have to send the info about the money deposit to MoneyBookers
7 - MoneyBookers will verify the payment information and if everything is in order they will deliver the apartment keys and the contract to you by DHL or UPS and you will be able to receive it in 2 or 3 days.
8 - After you receive the package, you will go and check the apt and you must contact them and tell them if you KEEP the apartment or NOT. If all is in order you will confirm MoneyBookers to release the money to me, if you don`t like the apartment they will send your money back to you, and you will send them the apartment keys with the rental contract.

I will pay MoneyBookers Service for the shipping and you will pay money transfer fees.

Thank you for your interest and wait news from you.
PS: I have attached you the contract that will be legalized and translated in Dutch or France when i will start the transaction.
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I think I can find a better and saFer way for me and you to do this. Unfortunately I still do not trust the internet. So, I think the best option and the greatest option would be the following:
You and/or your spouse come to Brussells for 1 day to show the apt , if I like it, we go the bank, show passports to know who we are and for yoU to know I am because that is very important. We do not need a rental agent for this at all.
The other option is, maybe little more risky for you but....I am sure that this building has a governing body or building supervisor as you C all it in uK, he can show me the place and we will be on our way to an agreement.
Another option, again safe for You , for me and the 900 EUROS that are in play, You contact a very small rental agency, send them your info along with the keys, and you only hire them to show the place and for nothing mOre. I am sure you have about 6 interested people and yoU cannot be asking all of them for 900 EUROS based out UK.
How long ago did you prepare this contract because it looks pretty determined for someone who just wants to rent a place. Also, I believe I have wrote to you in Dutch, I prefer writing in Dutch just for legal reasons, because these emails will be used in case we have a misunderstanding. Thanks buddy!>>>I hope here he could read between the lines and understand that I was on to him...but no....
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Hey Daniel, my brother, I need to move in next week. I made a deal with the landlord that I can leave now, he has an urgent renter now. Can you tell me how pay you?
AND another one right after
Hey there,
I was wondering if you can send me the info so I can get the house. Where do I send the 900 Euros?
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Hello,
I will need your details ( full name and address ) so i can start the transaction.
Once i have started the transaction you will get the payment invoice from MoneyBookers so you can be able to make the payment to there agent.
After you have made the payment following the details from the invoice and confirm the payment and all is in order, the delivery will start to you.
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FROM ME...
name and information and once again thanks eeh

Charles Ding-Dang
123 Fackey drive.Wishville ,belgium, 1011
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This is where he knew he was done and he replied with some bad manners and not happy thoughts...

should I send you the money with western union???

Welcome to ScamWarners elbay. What you have done with this scammer is called scam baiting. We do not support that here. We do appreciate you posting this information up here for others to find and be warned of this scammer.


To anyone reading this and thinking about getting involved with this person, NO DO NOT PAY by Western Union. This is typical scam language and demands Doing business by email is dicey at best. Having someone tell you that they can be trusted, all you have to do is send them money by an untraceable method is a sure sign of a scam.

Stop communicating with this person. All they want to do is take your money. You will not get keys to the apartment. You will get nothing but a receipt from Western Union showing that you have sent money to someone. That someone does not exist.

Scammers also use escrow brokers to scam their victims.

He gives you more details than you ask for. He gives "personal details" to try to break down barriers that might normally exist and encourage you to do the same. You have done this and now he has personal information about you. I could go on and on, but I hope you get my point.

Drop contact with him. He is a scammer.

Hi elbay, welcome to scamwarners.

While it's true that we don't discuss scambaiting on this site, we do have a sister site which is fully equipped to help people that want to bait them. If you're interested and want to be taught how to bait safe please take a look at our sister site at www.419eater.com. The people over there are very nice and will be happy to teach you

Thanks to BOTH of you and the advices that you give. But I also caught up with the fact that he was a scammer and I stopped contact with him. But once again...thank you. Just to let you know when I asked him for a contract I was still thinking about it being real...that is why more emails were exchanged. So...not everyone is as smart as you two where you can EAGLE EYE a scammer on a first flirt.

Here is other fact, if I do stop contact when I become aware of it being scam , this person will go back, put that ad up again and someone else will have the exact same problem.So by "baiting" him as you call it(I call it giving him virtual BLUEBALLS) I see how he works, what will he say more. I already closed my legs and no more free goods will be given out. When I "tell" him I am on to him...he will be scared, although he may not show it...he will back off....so I did the right thing....call it whatever you want it...

elbay,
I enjoyed reading the emails where you egged him on, but I think your wrong in one respect.
You did not make this guy think twice about doing this again, he might change his user name
on craigslist but the only thing that will stop people like this is a jail cell.