Room for Rent Scammer - [email protected]

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From: cooper iris ( [email protected] )
Sent: Wed 8/11/10 7:16 AM
To: Michelle
Thanks for the interest you have in my flat,is fully furnished in and out and its on the first floor and also has garden and there is parking space,and is one double bedroom flat not shared with another tenant.Still available for rent and you can rent 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 : £85.00 pw
Security Deposit: £400.00 (Refoundable at the end of a week stay in my flat)
Utility bills inclusive ( water, gas, council tax, TV license and wireless Internet) Utility Cost : £ 0.00 pcm
However, my flat is fully furnished in and out with all necessary house use such as Ceiling Fan,Big Closets,Microwave,Washer & Dryer In Unit,Air Conditioning,Dishwasher,Own bath room etc. At this stage that you want to rent my flat, i need to know some few question about you. Can you take care of my flat as it is? How many months do you intend to rent and pay for? Do you have references in ?and where are you relocating from?

Kindly reply for further information and i would like to know where you are coming from to stay in my flat and fill free to mail me for more information.

Regards
Mr Cooper
+447024060499

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 (by Western Union) money 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.

He tends to follow up with this:

Thanks for the reply and the sincere interest you have in my flat.I spoke with my lawyer some couple of minute ago concerning the interest you have in my flat and we both agreed to have you in my flat.
However it is unfortunate that my past bitter experience of inviting people to come and view or reserved my flat without any form of confirmation of their financial ability and not keeping up to time as at when scheduled, has brought about great loss to me. I have traveled all the way from Ireland to take some interested candidates round my flat because that's where i work with M. Gould (Scunthorpe) Ltd.
Some tenants do not have the money to pay the rent and yet they disturb me to arrange a viewing with their friend or relative who are in UK,some do not meet up with the appointments which has led to great dissapoinment to me.
Henceforth my lawyer and i have decided to carry out a simple test on your financial ability to pay for my rent before coming for viewing.I would have asked you to provide your bank statement but some prospective candidate has misused the opportunity in the past providing fake document and i didn't want to collect any money from you as long as you have not sign a contract neither have i taken you round my flat,But atleast two weeks rent and security deposit which is £400 which is refundable after your first week stay in my flat, would be required from you to transfer through western union money transfer, You will make the transfer with your name as a sender and someone close to you or relative as a receiver (Partner/Friend).
Once you have done this, Scan the receipt to me together with your reference letter and if you do not have scanner, you may write out the details on the receipt as it's stated on the transfer receipt and i will send it to my lawyer to verify if it's truly genuine and available in your custody, after verification, then we can Schedule convenient day and time for the viewing and you can as well tell your Receiver to pick up the money and also, i will refund back to you the cost of transfer when we meet.I'm really sorry for any inconveniences that might cause you in the process,it only for my lawyer to know your financial ability.

Kindly let me know when the transfer would be done so that i can schedule my journey to--------------- from my place of work in Ireland for the viewing .


Regards.

And then this:

Thanks for the reply i wouldn't want you to get me wrong,i schedule viewing with some candidate some couples of days ago and at the end of the viewing,they are not capable to rent her flat that's why my lawyer brought the idea of making a confirmation of your financial ability.
However, i didn't want to collect any money from you as long as you have not sign a contract neither have i taken you round my flat. All what i request from you is to transfer atleast two weeks rent and the deposit to someone close to you through Western union money transfer outlet, once you've done that, you get back to me with a scan copy of the transfer receipt so that i can forward it to my lawyer for confirmation if the transfer is valid.
After the confirmation might have been made, i will ask you to tell you friend to pick up the money and schedule a convenient day and time for the viewing. If eventually you don't want to proceed with the rent, i promise to return the cost of the transfer without any deduction.

Kindly get back to me if the procedure is well understood