by Geralt
Fri May 15, 2015 2:10 pm
Me and my girlfriend have been looking for a flat to rent in Swindon UK and we have come across a disturbingly large number of fake adverts (at the time we though they were real) and upon trying to contact the "landlord" to arrange viewings or ask questions, we were contacted by scammers trying to con us out of a deposit fee before even viewing the property.
They will claim they are holding the flat for you, and that they live out of town. They will reason that you have to make the deposit first since they have had their time wasted and do not want to take a day off work and drive to your location just to be let down again. DO NOT give these people any money or personal detials!! It's also worth noting they make the same excuses every time, and that they will try to get your personal details as well. We have been in contact with two different email addresses but their manerisms, excuses, and their general way of speaking are identical. They will also send you a fake land ownership certificate and a fake passport if you start to ask lots of questions (the passport number is always the same)
Here are the conversations we had with them :
Alice Watson
Here is the conversation my partner had with "Carla Peterson" as you will notice it's not much different, so beware, as they are operating under many different email addresses.
If you see anything similar to this, please alert the authorities and everyone you know. I can see these people have successfully scammed a number of people via sites like gumtree etc. after doing some research. PLEASE help us catch the scoundrels! Thanks.
They will claim they are holding the flat for you, and that they live out of town. They will reason that you have to make the deposit first since they have had their time wasted and do not want to take a day off work and drive to your location just to be let down again. DO NOT give these people any money or personal detials!! It's also worth noting they make the same excuses every time, and that they will try to get your personal details as well. We have been in contact with two different email addresses but their manerisms, excuses, and their general way of speaking are identical. They will also send you a fake land ownership certificate and a fake passport if you start to ask lots of questions (the passport number is always the same)
Here are the conversations we had with them :
Alice Watson
Alice Watson < [email protected] >
to me
Hello,
Thanks for the interest you have in my flat. The flat is still available for rent which is located at Ambrose House, Town Centre, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5PL. The pictures reflects the most current condition of the flat and you can stay in my flat as long as you pay your rent at when due. Here are the necessary things you need to know about the rent and deposit. Rent per month is £350 { water, gas, council tax, TV license and wireless Internet} also Security deposit of £500 protected by the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme and it's refundable after end of your stay in my flat.
However, i need to know some details about you. Can you keep my flat clean and tidy? Do you have reference in Swindon? The flat is new and all the facilities present are all new so i am looking for a responsible and clean tenant.
I am reliable and open. If anything is wrong in the flat, i makes sure the problem is quickly rectified. The flat is furnished but i can make it unfurnished or part furnished if prefer.
Hope to read from you soon.
Regards
Mr/Mrs Watson
Thank you kindly for getting back to me Alice.
A little bit about me and my partner. I am from New Zealand and have been living in Swindon the past few months. I have been boarding with my mother while saving for a flat I can rent on my own. I currently work at Nationwide Building Society. My girlfriend has just moved here recently after me and is currently seeking full time work of her own. We are both non smokers, we do not drink and we do not go out much, we lead quite a simple and quiet life. We are very impressed by your flat based and what we have seen so far, and ideally, we are looking to rent for up to one year.
Yes we are very clean and tidy people. As I am boarding with my Mother I have to be honest with you, I cannot provide a reference from a landlord in Swindon, but I would be more than happy to provide a character reference from my employers if that will suffice.
We are both very keen to view the property and meet you in person to discuss more.
Thanks, Mitchell.
Alice Watson
May 11 (4 days ago)
to me
Hello,
Thanks for your reply. The flat is available and i am renting the property out because i have just moved outside Swindon to start a new job in Southampton where i currently work and live, i will be here for at least 5 years. I am not after the rent but someone that could take good care of my flat and all the facilities present.
I would need to take a day off in order to come down to Swindon and schedule viewing with you but some prospective tenants do not have the money to pay the rent nor the deposit, yet they disturb the landlord for viewing or arrange viewing with their friend but some do not meet up with the appointments.
Nevertheless, my solicitor would need some information from you to draft an Assured ShortHold Tenancy Agreement which you will print and bring along with when you're coming for the viewing. Details needed are:
Your full name:
Current address:
Confirmed move in date:
Mobile number:
Please get back to me with these information so that i can tell you how to proceed and please, let me know if you have other options because i wouldn't want to schedule a viewing with you and get disappointed at the end of the day. Thanks for your interest.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Mr/Mrs Watson
Hello,
Just to confirm, do you require 500 pounds security deposit AND one month's rent (350) in advance? Just to let you know, we are very keen based on what we have seen so far, so I can assure you your property is our number one priority and that we do not have any other options at present.
Regarding the information field you require "confirmed move in date" depending on when you are free to potentially come down to Swindon, and assuming all goes well, we would be keen to move in as soon as next week or the week after.
Thank you.
Alice Watson
May 12 (3 days ago)
to me
Hello,
Thanks for the reply, i would need to take a day off in order to come down to Swindon and schedule for the viewing. Yet some prospective tenants do not have the money to pay the rent and they disturb the landlord to arrange a viewing, so i wouldn't like such to happen again.
I have 2 other interested candidates that just provided their details for the tenancy agreement and also willing to make an advance holding deposit to secure the flat but i declined because they are big family with 5 grown up children and pets.
Nevertheless, i will appreciate if you would be able to get the security deposit transferred now via online banking or locate the bank. Upon verification of payment, we proceed immediately with the viewing. We can proceed with the viewing on Saturday or at your convenient day/time.
Please let me know if you are willing to proceed with the payment so that i can provide to you the bank account details. You will pay the rent after the viewing and note that making a deposit doesn't mean you must rent my flat after the viewing, if you decide not to proceed with the rent, then i will refund the deposit immediately without any deduction.
Hello Alice,
I can definitely understand your concerns regarding people wasting your time with viewings and can appreciate what an inconvenience it must be to travel all the way here to Swindon only to be let down. However, me and my partner also have some concerns of our own when it comes to making this deposit. As I'm sure you can understand, 500 pounds is a significant amount of money, and we have not yet met you to determine whether or not we can make this deposit in good faith, and also, no formal agreement has been made, meaning we cannot guarantee the safety of our money after transferring it to you. I hope you can understand our reasoning as we want to go about this as safely as possible.
We would feel a lot more comfortable if we could meet you first and discuss the matter in person, just so we can be sure that our dealings are 100% genuine.
Other than that, this Saturday would more than suit us to view the property.
Thank you, Mitchell.
Thanks for getting back to me and your message is well understood. I would like you to know that i am not after your hard earn money, i have my own work and also earn enough money for my family.
Private landlords are guided by law under the housing act. Private Landlords don't advertise what they don't have. The flat in the photo is exactly what you are coming to see. I have other interested candidates that are willing to make a deposit upfront to confirm their financial ability and seriousness so it's never a problem if you decide not to make a deposit or rent my flat.
Nevertheless, i am willing to send a scan copy of my international passport and also the Certificate of Ownership which shows that i am the owner of the property. Making a deposit is to verify your sincere interest in renting the flat and if you decide not to proceed with the rent after the viewing, i will refund the deposit back to you without any deduction.
Hello and thank you for getting back to me.
I would very much appreciate it if you could send me the documents detailed in your reply, and upon verifying them we can proceed from there.
Thank you, Mitchell.
Hello Mitchell, please find the enclosed document files with this email, verify it and get back to me as soon as you can. I have held so many interested candidate looking for good flat to rent because i wouldn't want to disappoint you.
Here is the conversation my partner had with "Carla Peterson" as you will notice it's not much different, so beware, as they are operating under many different email addresses.
[email protected]
Thanks for the response. I am delighted to inform you that my flat is still available. Here are the details you need to know about the flat. The property located at Horsham Road, Swindon SN3 2FL which is very close to transport links and all other local amenities. The flat has a sizable kitchen with washing machine, microwave, kettle, fridge/freezer, dish washer, cutlery, plates.
The property:
Bright room newly decorated, with wardrobe, drawers, desk, chair.
Central gas heating, double glazed, computer desk.
New Flat TV 32" with more than 100 Channels.
Rent: £460 per month. (The rent includes all bills, council tax, electricity, gas, water and unlimited wifi).
Refundable security deposit: £500. It's refundable after end of your stay in my flat. Do you have references in Swindon?
Hope to read from you soon and i would like to know where you are coming from to stay in my flat.
Regards
Mr/Mrs Peterson
Thanks for your reply,
Are we able to schedule a viewing? Also, can you provide some more pictures.
Its my first time in Swindon, I lived in different country before.
Thank you, Ola.
Hello Ola,
Thanks for the reply, Regarding to your question, find the attached pictures of the flat that you ask for. Its possible for you to come for the viewing. However, i can make a perfect reservation for you as i am giving you 100% guarantee as the flat is still available. I would need to take a day off in order to come down to Swindon and schedule for the viewing. Yet some prospective tenants do not have the money to pay the rent and they disturb the landlord to arrange a viewing, so i wouldn't like such to happen again.
More so, i have 2 other interested candidates that just provided their details for the tenancy agreement and also willing to make an advance deposit to secure the flat but i declined because they have a big family with children, 2 cats and a dog. Nevertheless, i will appreciate if you would be able to get the security deposit transferred now via online banking or locate the bank. Upon verification of payment, we proceed immediately with the viewing. We can proceed with the viewing on Saturday at 5pm or at your convenient time. Your funds will be protected and monitor by thewww.depositprotection.com.
Please let me know if you are willing to proceed with the payment so that i can provide to you the bank account details. You will pay the rent after the viewing and note that making a deposit doesn't mean you must rent my flat after the viewing, if you decide not to proceed with the rent, then i will refund the deposit immediately without any deduction.
Hope to read from you soon.
Regard
Mr/Mrs Peterson
Hello,
I understand your reasons, but its also in your intrest to rent this flat and even if you live somewhere further you should preper yourself for coming to Swindon and show it to people anyway. I am not going to pay for a flat I havent even seen on my eyes yet and decided if it does look like in the pictures. Sorry, but until the viewing will be done I am not going to pay any money. I am responsible person and will come to meet and see if you are still intrested to show me.
Thanks, Ola.
Your explanation is well understood but i would like you to know that i am a God fearing woman and i am not after your hard earned money. I would have loved to schedule a viewing time and date with you without any deposit but my husband will not accept that because we have been disappointed in so many ways in the past.
I would like you to know that private landlords are guided by law under the housing act. Private Landlords don't advertise what they don't have. The room's in the photo is exactly what you are coming to see.
Nevertheless, i am willing to send my certificate of ownership which state that i am the owner of the flat. Making a deposit is to verify your sincere interested in renting the flat and if you decided not to proceed with the rent after the viewing, i will refund the deposit back to you without any deduction.
Hope to read from you soon.
Regards
Mr/Mrs Peterson
Hello,
Well then I suggest to talk with your husband otherwise you may never be able to rent this flat. It is in our both intrest to take care of this flat and I am also a person who dont trust that easy. Even if my money are somewhat protected I am not so keen to play in the court after any possible problem who may accur after I will pay the deposit without even seeing the flat. There are too many people who only wait to cheat others, I am not saying you are one, but I am not going to risk. If you will convince your husband then please let me know, if it will calm you down you may give me your phone number and I will ask my partner to call you and prove we are serious people who will show up and make a decision about your flat, but money will be payed only after seeing.
Thank you, Ola.
At this stage, if you're not comfortable making a deposit to confirm your financial ability and seriousness, i suggest you'll have to look for another flat and i wish you best of luck.
Kindly let me know your opinion as soon as possible.
Regards
If you see anything similar to this, please alert the authorities and everyone you know. I can see these people have successfully scammed a number of people via sites like gumtree etc. after doing some research. PLEASE help us catch the scoundrels! Thanks.
