Rental Scammer - [email protected]

cannot find any way to cancel the membership on eFreeScore.com.

Call your Credit Card bank or Company and stop the payments or cancel the account. If you cancel the account just get a new one.

I encountered the same scam on Los Angeles' Craigslist for an apartment in Echo Park (no exact location given). The ad was way below market rate. The poster did not use the craigslist anonymized email, it came direct from Alice Reed <[email protected]>. The response "Alice" sent me to my request for more info about the apartment was:

Hello,

How's your day going? The good news is that the apartment is still available! We thought we had the place leased to a couple we showed it to today, but now it seems that they changed their mind, so we need to rent it as soon as possible. You were the second one to email me about it.

I am sure you will want to do a personal showing of the property, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address as a measure of safety. Last time we did that without verifying people, the empty property was broken into and vandalized. As you can imagine, we want to avoid that! You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. Just to confirm, we DO allow pets at this property. The rental term is 12 month lease, but can be switched into a half year lease if preferred. We just ask that you give us fair notice if you are moving out.

If you would like to set up an appointment, go to the link below and request a copy of your free credit score. All of our tenants use this site because Transunion is widely trusted. Just fill out the form and indicate that you want the score. What is in the report isn't important to us, it's more of a formality to have it on file, to make sure there are no previous property related issues. You can get your free credit score at CLICK HERE

Remember, we only need to see the page about the rental history. That's all we need to see at the showing. We'll waive your security deposit if your score is above 570+.

Once you let me know that you have your credit history ready, then I'll personally schedule a walk through of the place. I look forward to showing you the place!

See you soon,
Alice Reed

There's a half-dozen red flags in that response so I googled it and came to this page. The verbatim text being used on ads all over the country is obvious proof that this is a scam. whether it is only an affiliate scam or both affiliate and phishing I'm not sure. I reported the ad to craigslist and am posting this here to help add awareness.

As stated earlier in this thread this is an affiliate scam and is explained here.
Legitimate rental companies and landlords will pull your credit report themselves so they have control of the process.

http://credit.about.com/b/2012/02/23/lo ... -scams.htm

When you give you your credit card information you are signing up for a service with a reoccurring charge.

Payment Information
When you place your order here you will begin your membership in <removed>. You will be billed $1.00 today and start your trial membership. After your 7-day trial period you will be charged $29.94 per month. If you wish to cancel just contact us to stop your membership. Stopping your membership will stop billing and you will not be eligible for a pro-rated refund of your current months membership fee.

The problem is you can not get this company to respond to cancel the service.

Hi Mike,
I disagree with your statement that Legitimate rental companies and landlords will pull your credit report themselves so they have control of the process. I just completed an apartment search; I looked at 27 apartments before selecting the winning unit. The vast majority of managers allowed me to submit my own recently acquired credit report. Of the approximately 18 different management agencies I was in contact with only 3 insisted that they run the report themselves. All those agencies were legitimate.

I understand the nature of this scam. I posted here because though I found this page through googling the content of the scam ad, scam warners was not a top hit and could have been missed by a less-diligent search. I thought my contribution might make this page more easily found by subsequent searchers.

Additionally, I saw this same scam posted about a half dozen times within a week in the Los Angeles craigslist, with different body text, pictures and email address (the scammers never use Craigslist's anonymized email system) on each post. So the people running this scam are very active in LA right now.

As stated earlier in this thread this is an affiliate scam and is explained here.
Legitimate rental companies and landlords will pull your credit report themselves so they have control of the process.

http://credit.about.com/b/2012/02/23/lo ... -scams.htm

When you give you your credit card information you are signing up for a service with a reoccurring charge.

Payment Information
When you place your order here you will begin your membership in <removed>. You will be billed $1.00 today and start your trial membership. After your 7-day trial period you will be charged $29.94 per month. If you wish to cancel just contact us to stop your membership. Stopping your membership will stop billing and you will not be eligible for a pro-rated refund of your current months membership fee.

The problem is you can not get this company to respond to cancel the service.

Here is another one:

[email protected]
To Me Today at 9:29 AM
Hello,

I hope everything is good. I still have the apartment ready to lease. We thought we had the place rented to a couple that stopped by to see the place, but now it seems that they're not interested, so we need to lease it as soon as possible. You were the 2nd one to show interest about it.

I bet you will want to do a walkthrough of the place, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address as a precaution. Last time we did that without verifying people, it was broken into and torn apart. As you can imagine, we want to avoid that! You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. Just to confirm, we DO allow pets at this property. The rental term is one year, but can be switched into a half year lease if preferred. We require one month notice before moving out, as a courtesy.

When you want to come tour the place, then please visit the link below and grab your free score. We recommend this site because all of our tenants used it and never had any problems. All you need to do is fill out the form and you get your score We aren't interested in specifics, it's more of a formality to have it on file, to make sure there are no previous property related issues. You can get it for free at CLICK HERE

Keep in mind that we are only interested in the page about the rental history. That's all we need to see at the showing. We'll waive your security deposit if your score is above 550+.

Give me a heads up when you have an updated version of your credit history. Then I'll schedule you for a showing. I know that you'll love it!

Thanks again,
Jace Williams

I am so glad this was posted here. I just came across the same scam email in my apartment hunt.
Hello,

How's your day going? The apartment is here still to rent. We thought we had the place leased to a couple that we gave a personal tour to, but now it seems that they're no longer interested, so we need to rent it as soon as possible. You were the second one to respond regarding it.

I bet you will want to do a personal showing of the property, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address as a measure of safety. Last time we did that without being diligent, the empty property was broken into and vandalized. As you can imagine, we want to avoid that! You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. Just to confirm, we DO allow pets at this property. The rental term is 12 month lease, but can be switched into a 6-month lease if preferred. We just ask that you give us fair notice if you are moving out.

If you would like to set up an appointment, go to the link below and request a copy of your free credit score. All of our tenants use this site because Transunion is widely trusted. Just fill out the form and indicate that you want the score. What is in the report isn't important to us, it's more of a formality to have it on file, to make sure there are no previous property related issues. You can get it for free at CLICK HERE

Keep in mind that we are only interested in the page about the rental history. That's all we need to see at the showing. We typically waive the security deposit with a score of 560+.

Please let me know when you grab your credit history. I can then schedule you for a walk through of the place. I know that you'll love it!

Thanks,
Susan Reed

I just got the same reply today from a posting on Atlants Craigslist:

RE: 2 bdrm unit
Inbox
x

[email protected]
11:32 AM (1 hour ago)

to me
Hello,

How's your day going? The apartment is still vacant. We thought we had the place leased to a couple that stopped by to see the place, but now it seems that they're not interested, so we need to rent it as soon as possible. You were the second one to show interest about it.

I bet you will want to do a walkthrough of the place, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address as a standard precaution. Last time we did that without verifying people, it was broken into and vandalized. We don't want that to happen again! You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. Just to confirm, we DO allow pets at this property. The rental term is one year, but can be switched into a half year lease if preferred. We just ask that you give us fair notice if you are moving out.

When you want to come tour the place, then please visit the link below and grab your free score. We use this site for all the properties we manage since it's free through Transunion. All you need to do is fill out the form and you get your score What is in the report isn't important to us, it's more of a formality to have it on file, to make sure there are no previous property related issues. You can get it for free at CLICK HERE

Remember, we only need to see the page about the rental history. That will be all you will need to bring with you to the showing. We'll also waive your security deposit if we see that your rating is above 550+.

Please let me know when you grab your credit history. I can then schedule you for a showing of the place. I look forward to showing you the place!

See you soon,
Susan Reed

These scammers are active in Philadelphia as well. They have a Craigslist add for a 2 bedroom apartment in Philly's University City for $835. Email to contact on Craigslist is: [email protected]
I contacted them and got the following reply (below) from SusanD.Reed [email protected]
I flagged the ad with Craigslist -- hopefully they will remove it.

"Hello,

Good morning to you today I'm glad to tell you that the apartment is still available. We thought we had the place rented to a couple that we gave a tour to today, but now it seems that they changed their mind, so we need to rent it as soon as possible. You were the second one to respond regarding it.

I bet you will want to do a walkthrough of the place, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address as a standard precaution. Last time we did that without being diligent, it was broken into and torn apart. We don't want that to happen again! You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. Just to confirm, we DO allow pets at this property. The rental term is 12 month lease, but can be switched into a 6-month lease if preferred. We just ask that you give us fair notice if you are moving out.

If you want us to schedule you for a tour, then please visit the link below and get your free score. We recommend this site because all of our tenants used it and never had any problems. Just fill out the form and indicate that you want the score. We are not concerned with any negative marks, it's more of a formality to have it on file, to make sure there are no previous property related issues. You can get it for free at CLICK HERE

Keep in mind that we are only interested in the page about the rental history. That will be all you will need to bring with you to the showing. We'll also waive your security deposit if we see that your rating is above 560+.

Once you let me know that you have your credit history ready, then I'll personally schedule a walk through of the place. I know that you'll love it!

Thank you,
Susan Reed"

I've received the scam email as well in Atlanta for a condo rental in Roswell, GA. The email came from [email protected]

--
Hi,

How is everything for you today? The apartment you want is still available. We thought we had the place leased to a couple that stopped by to see the place, but now it seems that they changed their mind, so we need to lease it as soon as possible. You were the second one to show interest about it.

I bet you will want to do a walking tour of the place, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address as a precaution. Last time we did that without being diligent, the empty property was broken into and torn apart. We don't want that to happen again! You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. Just to confirm, we DO allow pets at this property. The rental term is one year, but can be switched into a half year lease if preferred. We just ask that you give us fair notice if you are moving out.

If you want us to schedule you for a tour, then please visit the link below and get your free score. We use this site for all the properties we manage since it's free through Transunion. Just fill out the form and indicate that you want the score. What is in the report isn't important to us, it's more of a formality to have it on file, to make sure there are no previous property related issues. You can get it for free at CLICK HERE

Remember, we only need to see the page about the rental history. That will be all you will need to bring with you to the showing. We'll waive your security deposit if your score is above 560+.

Please let me know when you grab your credit history. I can then schedule you for a showing of the place. I look forward to showing you the place!

Thanks, Susan Reed

If it helps, I found a U.S. number to cancel, when signing up on the site today (once I saw that you had to call a number to cancel, and couldn't cancel online, I didn't go through with the membership.

The number is: 1-800-934-1938

I wanted to also attach a screen shot, but looks like the capability to paste the image isn't functionally supported in this forum.

Hi, I joined just to post the ones I've seen here in San Diego. I was lucky enough to know to only use annualcreditreport.com, but I still paid 5 bucks for a credit score that I didn't need (it was nice to see that it was higher than I expected tho).

I find this behavior particularly contemptible because it wastes my time waiting on a response and being hesitant to make too many inquiries at once. Here's hoping this helps someone find out quickly.

Hello Alexander,

Whats new? The good news is that the unit is still available! We thought we had the unit rented to someone that we gave a personal walk-through to, but now it seems that they can't get out of their current lease, so we need to keep searching. You were the 2nd one to reach out to me.

I am sure you want the exact address of the property, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address as a precaution. Last time we did that without being diligent, it was broken into and ripped up. We don't want that to happen again! That is why we require you to confirm you recieved your updated credit report before we setup a tour.You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. For the FIRST time, we are allowing pets at this property. The rental term is 12 month lease, but can be switched into a 6-month lease if preferred. We just ask that you give us fair notice if you are moving out.

If you want us to schedule you for a tour, then please visit the link below and get your report. All of our tenants use this site because it is widely trusted. All you need to do is fill out the form and you get your report We are not concerned with any negative scores, it's more of a formality to ensure you have rental history. You can get your report CLICK HERE

Remember, print out the report and bring it to the tour.. We'll waive your security deposit if your score is above 530+.

Please let me know when you grab your report. I can then schedule you for a showing of the place.

Thanks again,
Lynn Olson

I received this same EXACT email word for word on 3/29/15, also in the san diego area... except it was from a different sender name.

I got this same email today, in New York City this time, and, of course, from a different name than who I sent the email to.

Trying to find an apartment here is ridiculous. Reverse Image Search on Google is your best friend, remember that.

Hello (name removed),

Great to speak with you. Here's some good news: the unit's still available! We thought we had the unit rented to someone that we gave a personal walk-through to, but now it seems that they can't get out of their current lease, so we need to keep searching. You were the second one to contact me.

I am sure you want the exact location of the property, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address as a precaution. Last time we did that without verifying people, it was broken into and ripped up. We don't want that to happen again! That is why we require you to confirm you recieved your updated credit report before we setup a walk-through.You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. For the FIRST time, we are allowing pets at this property. The rental term is 12 month lease, but can be switched into a half year term if preferred. We just ask that you give us fair notice if you are moving out.

When you're ready for a personal appointment, then please go to the link below and grab your credit report. We recommend this site because all of our tenants used it and haven't had any problems. Just fill out the form and indicate that you want the report. We are not concerned with any negative scores, it's more of a formality to ensure you have rental history. Simply get your report by CLICKING HERE (link to efreescore)

Do not send me the report over mail, bring it to the tour. We typically waive the security deposit with a score of 600+.

Once you let me know that you have your report ready, then I can personally schedule a showing of the place.

Thank you,
Alexa Evans

I got this from a craiglist ad i applied to : http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/abo/5024780369.html
Sender :
[email protected] <[email protected]>

Hello Removed (BW),

Good to talk to you. Here's some good news: the unit's still available! We thought we had the unit leased to someone we gave a walk through to, but now it seems that they are no longer needing to move, so we need to keep searching. You were the 2nd one to reach out to me.

I am sure you want the exact address of the place, but my husband doesn't want me to advertise the address for safety reasons. Last time we did that without verifying people, it was broken into and ripped up. We don't want that to happen again! That is why we require you to confirm you recieved your most current credit report before we setup a walk-through.You will be responsible for cable, internet, and phone, if you decide to have these services. For the FIRST time, we are allowing pets at this property. The rental term is 12 month lease, but can be switched into a 6-month lease if preferred. We require one month notice before moving out, as a courtesy.

If you would like to set up an appointment, go to the link below and request a copy of your credit report. All of our tenants use this site because it is widely trusted. All you need to do is fill out the form and you get your report We aren't interested in specifics of your score, it's more of a formality to ensure you have rental history. You can get your report by CLICKING HERE

Keep in mind that you only have to bring your report to the tour. We'll also waive your security deposit if we see that your rating is above 650+.

Once you let me know that you have your report ready, then I can personally schedule a walk through of the place.

Thank you,
Jackie Moore

These emails a generated by a program that sends out the scripted emails. A simple email to the listed ad with the question "What is your pet policy?" and received the same email.

The sole purpose of these emails is to drive traffic to a for profit credit reporting company that will sign you for a reoccurring monthly fee of $24.94.

From the home page of the website.

Important Information:

Once you complete your order here you will start your trial membership for eFreeScore.com. You will be billed $1.00 today to start your 7-day trial and then $29.94 every month for your membership.