Paul Towler - [email protected]

Hi everyone

I've run into a chap named Paul Towler offering me an immaculate apartment in the city for a very cheap price. After emailing him he has sent keen emails in return so I googled him and came to this website where he's been reported as a rental scammer in 2012 and 2015 and is mentioned on a couple of other scammer forums.

I'm a little worried as what to do as he sent an initial email with some bizarre personal family photos along with four colour scans of ID; UK passport and drivers licence, European Health Insurance Card, and a card that details him as being a Detective Constable with Cleveland Police?
Is it appropriate to post these images on the forum and should I contact the police?

I'm not in the UK and am not familiar with these forms of ID so I'd appreciate some help on what to do next.

General info:
[email protected]
http://melbourne.craigslist.com.au/apa/5417855949.html
DOB 12/05/1971

Thank you

Welcome to Scamwarners,

Post the emails sent to you, email address, phone numbers and photo's. Mark the photo's as stolen or fake. Blot out children faces or do not post them.

Remove your personal information from emails sent to you prior to submitting.

How to post photo's >>> viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3219 Use scamwarners and mark them as stolen or fake.

Hi everyone

I've run into a chap named Paul Towler offering me an immaculate apartment in the city for a very cheap price. After emailing him he has sent keen emails in return so I googled him and came to this website where he's been reported as a rental scammer in 2012 and 2015 and is mentioned on a couple of other scammer forums.

I'm a little worried as what to do as he sent an initial email with some bizarre personal family photos along with four colour scans of ID; UK passport and drivers licence, European Health Insurance Card, and a card that details him as being a Detective Constable with Cleveland Police?
Is it appropriate to post these images on the forum and should I contact the police?

I'm not in the UK and am not familiar with these forms of ID so I'd appreciate some help on what to do next.

General info:
[email protected]
Ad for property - http://melbourne.craigslist.com.au/apa/5417855949.html
DOB 12/05/1971

Thank you



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Correspondence so far -


[Paul]
Hello,

Thank you for your interest!
I have available for rent my apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, located in Bank Place, Melbourne. The apartment it has 2 bedrooms, it is a mistake to announcement. Please check all photos of the apartment.
The apartment is fully furnished and equipped, recently renovated, very modern, neat, clean, and has all necessary amenities (such as TV, WiFi, air conditioning, washing machine and dryer etc....), exactly like in the pictures. It also has a parking space. Well-behaved pets are allowed.
According to an authorized realtor, the apartment is in "first class condition".
The rent is $ 1.200 per month for the entire location, including all utilities, and you will not share the apartment with someone else. This price is not negotiable.
I own this apartment from an aunt , who passed away. I don't live in Australia, and since I don't use this apartment, I want to rent it for a longer or minimum 2 months.
In the past I rented via the Airbnb, and I was very satisfied with the services provided of this company. For this reason I want to use Airbnb to rent my apartment.

I believe you know Airbnb is the biggest company of rental in the world.
Let me know if you want to continue the deal with me, so I will explain how Airbnb works.
I will appreciate your answer as soon as possible.

Thanks!
Best Regards!

-----

[xnhhr]
Hi Paul

Thank you for your reply!
My partner and I are currently looking to move into somewhere as soon as possible and would like to have a look at the property. We do not have pets and we are both students.
The apartment does indeed look fantastic.

I'm familiar with Airbnb, could you link me to the page where you advertise the apartment on Airbnb please?

Thank you

Kind regards,

-----

Hello again,

Like i told you i`am not in Australia, for this reason i want to rent the apartment with Airbnb. And I want to rent the apartment for a long period. In the past I was using the website `Airbnb` to rent my apartment for short periods, but now i moved with my job and my family in Middlesbrough, UK, so I chose to rent the apartment for at least 2 months and max 5 years.
Airbnb is our intermediary, but is not an agency, I am particular and make the contract with me after seeing the floor. You pay only the price of one month's rent and one month guarantee. The apartment is luxurious and are therefore I want one month's rent and one month guarantee .

First of all I would like to know more about you ... where are you from? ... How many people are you staying ?, how old are you? and how long you want to rent? this is just to know you better, it is very important for me to know who will live in my apartment because I want a good person. I think you can understand.

I say something about me: I am a sincere,responsible, respectful and friendly person .
I want to know if you want to rent my apartment with Airbnb .

Thanks!

-----

I understand Paul, thank you
It would be great to inspect the property soon, can we arrange a time?

Kind regards,

an image search shows that pic in the craigslist ad to be stolen from a place that is advertising $301 AUD Per Night with a 3 night minimum stay.

always follow the Craigslist safety rules to avoid scams. They are as follows :
Avoiding Scams

Deal locally, face-to-face —follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.

Do not extend payment to anyone you have not met in person.
Beware offers involving shipping - deal with locals you can meet in person.
Never wire funds (e.g. Western Union) - anyone who asks you to is a scammer.
Don't accept cashier/certified checks or money orders - banks cash fakes, then hold you responsible.
Transactions are between users only, no third party provides a "guarantee".
Never give out financial info (bank account, social security, paypal account, etc).
Do not rent or purchase sight-unseen—that amazing "deal" may not exist.
Refuse background/credit checks until you have met landlord/employer in person.

more details can be found here : http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams?lang=en&cc=gb

Remove your personal information from emails sent to you prior to submitting.

How to post photo's >>> viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3219 Use scamwarners and mark them as stolen or fake.

.

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3219

We sometimes get visits from scammers.

If you do not watermark the photo's as fake or stolen we risk another scammer seeing your post and stealing those Id's for his scams.

Okie dokie sorry



Thoughts on police ID??

-----

Further email

[Paul]
Hello again,

The deal will be this way, I have the apartment listed on Airbnb and I want to close the deal through them. It is the most important site of vacation/housing rentals and worldwide.

As I said you have to have a minimum payment of one months' rent and one month warranty, you will pay the money to Airbnb, they accept online payment on their site (All will be online , booking , invoice , payment ).

Once payment made to Airbnb, they contacted me and in 72 hrs max I have the obligation to show you the apartment. So, within 72 hours, I will be in Australia to give you keys of the apartment. I'll show you the apartment, then we do a renting contract.

The money remains in the custody of Airbnb until you will see the apartment . If for some reason you are not agree with the apartment you have the option to cancel the transaction and Airbnb will give you the money back in 24 hours .

Let me be clear if you are unavailable to pay to reserve for the apartment to Airbnb , please let me know , because this is the only way to rent my apartment . Because i can come to sow the apartment to everyone and they will not have the money or don't want to rent .
Let me know if you want to rent my apartment with Airbnb.

Thanks!
Best Regards!

-----

Obviously I'm not going through with that but who should I contact?

[AlanJones]

Thoughts on police ID??

It has been used in various scams over a number of years. The below is from a post from another forum dating back to 2010, where someone actually contacted Cleveland police

We do not have an Officer by the name of Paul Towler. However we have a Police Officer with the Cleveland Police named Lightowler and we are aware that his identification has been obtained and is being used fraudulently. In some cases the identification Documents have been altered (to quite a high standard) to read Raul Hightowler or Peter Lightowler and more recently, Paul Towler.