Rental Scammer - [email protected]

August 2015, 14:01, emma lawson <[email protected]> wrote:


Thanks for your reply. The room is available and i am renting the
property out because i have just moved outside London 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 only 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 London 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 Lawson

This person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union, MoneyGram, pre-paid credit card or bank transfer with a promise that you can have the keys to a property that does not belong to him.

Sounds safe. It's not!

At other times, he will ask for proof that you are able to pay the deposit and rent due to a string of time wasters.
This proof is in the form of a Western Union or MoneyGram payment to a lawyer,a friend or family member.

In either case, if payment is made and you give this person the details, they will collect the money.
You will not hear from them again.

All the details such as names, addresses, pictures etc. that the scammer uses in order to back up his story, are stolen from elsewhere.

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 Craigslist, Gumtree or similar listing sites. If you receive any requests from 'Landlords' asking for some kind of payment 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.

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your useful info.

Recently I am looking for flatshare online. I got the message from this exact email 'emma lawson <[email protected]>.

May I know if this user of this email has been verified as a fraud?

Regards,
Carol

Hello caroltsang1122,

Anything that has been posted by Michelle has been verified to be a scam and a fraud.

> From: [email protected]

> Subject: Re: Flat search
> To: Michelle Banks
>
> Thanks for getting back to me and your message is well understood. I
> am not after the money but after someone who will take good care of my
> flat, i accept the fact that you are a sincere tenant with a good
> heart i think you are the kind of person i want to rent my flat for, i
> will appreciate if you can pay the security and after the viewing you
> can pay the remaining money for the rent and more so if you want me to
> handover the security deposit to you after the viewing it ok be me
> just want to know your financial ability to rent my flat. However,
> the bad eggs have spoil the good ones, i would like you to know that i
> am a God fearing woman and i am not after you hard earned money, i
> have my own work and i earn enough money for my family and also to
> help the less privileged that is why I'm willing to provide my
> solicitor's bank details, undertaken and certificate of ownership of
> my flat which i don't send to people but in order to put you on a
> safer side and prove my genuineness, seriousness and sincerity. your
> funds will be protected and monitor by the http://www.depositprotection.com,
> so you have no worries. I will like to know if you are ready to
> proceed with the payment to secure my flat and i am giving you 100%
> guarantee as the flat is still available, there is 3 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, 3 cats and
> dogs.
>
> Kindly let me know your opinion as possible so that i can ask my
> solicitor to proceed with the contract and if you are not okay with
> this i suggest you would have to look for another flat in other to
> avoid time wasting.
>
> Best Regards
> Mrs Lawson