Rental Scammer - [email protected]

Just came across this email today, naive me gave her a photo of my licence but thankfully I did enough digging around the internet to find out this is indeed a scam

[email protected]

Hello,
I am glad that you are interested to rent my apartment.
My name is Stephanie Kannen, I'm 44 years old and I am working as a project manager for ADCO Construction. I lived in this apartment until May 2016, when my company started a new project in Ireland and I had to move here for the next 5 years, so the apartment is available for long-term. The apartment is fully furnished with all the necessary equipment and appliances.​ As you saw in the pictures it is in excellent condition, very clean and well kept. The rent will be $250 per week including utilities (hot/cold water, electricity, internet, cable TV). Also, a security deposit (bond) of $1000 is required at the start of the lease and it will be refunded at the end of the contract (a 30 day notice is required). You have full access to all building amenities. Pets are allowed. That's all i can say for now until you have a taste of my place.

In the meantime, can you please confirm the following:

· How many people would be living at the property?
· When would you like to move in? (check-in date)
· What term/length lease would you like?
· Do you have any pets?
· When are your most suitable times/days to view the property?

If further interested, please give me some information about yourself (age, job, lifestyle or whatever you think makes you a good tenant).
Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Welcome to Scamwarner.com -- Thank you for posting

You said that the scammer has your personal details, including a copy of your identification card or passport: My advise to you is to contact the Police and seek their guidance - What a Scammer will no doubt do is to open a e-mail account with an e-address that corresponds with your name. He will use your identification to pretend to be you and use it during his scamming activities and, if he is successful, it will be you the Police that will come looking for in the first instance. - Making contact with the Police will show that you are not involved in a scam.

Yes it is indeed a HUGE scam...i nearly got caught out aswell!!
Same email but i soon realised. Way too good to be true.

Original message --------

From: Stephanie Kannen <[email protected]>

Date: 21/06/2016 8:39 AM (GMT+10:00)

Subject: Re: Property enquiry for 16 Ocean Street, Narrabeen 2101, NSW


Hello,


I am glad that you are interested to rent my apartment.

My name is Stephanie Kannen, I'm 44 years old and I am working as a project manager for ADCO Construction. I lived in this apartment until May 2016, when my company started a new project in Ireland and I had to move here for the next 5 years, so the apartment is available for long-term. The apartment is fully furnished with all the necessary equipment and appliances.​ As you saw in the pictures it is in excellent condition, very clean and well kept. The rent will be $350 per week including utilities (hot/cold water, electricity, internet, cable TV). Also, a security deposit (bond) of $1400 is required at the start of the lease and it will be refunded at the end of the contract (a 30 day notice is required). You have full access to all building amenities. Pets are allowed. That's all i can say for now until you have a taste of my place.


In the meantime, can you please confirm the following:


· How many people would be living at the property?

· When would you like to move in? (check-in date)

· What term/length lease would you like?

· Do you have any pets?

· When are your most suitable times/days to view the property?


If further interested, please give me some information about yourself (age, job, lifestyle or whatever you think makes you a good tenant).

Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Of course i wrote back and this was the response........immediately knew it was a scam.
If you google search for the original email address it gave on the real estate site "[email protected] " you will find alot of similar properties with a street number but no actual unit number . lets hope they dont scam too many people!!

Thank you for responding so quick with all of that information, it all sounds great.
The only thing, is that I'm currently in Ireland and for the moment I cannot come to Australia to show you the apartment. However, I hope this will not change your intentions to rent my apartment because we can still reach an agreement. We can do this transaction through Airbnb. In this way, you will receive the keys in less than 48 hours to inspect the apartment and you will be able to view the apartment without any obligations to rent it. I will pay all the transaction costs. To avoid any misunderstanding i will be gladly to explain you step by step how the viewing procedure works:

To reserve the apartment I need to send me your personal details (name, address, phone number) and a copy of your ID or passport for inspection and to prepare all necessary papers for you to become a future tenant. Once I get your details, I will contact Airbnb with them to start the transaction. They will send you an invoice and further information regarding the rental, along with payment instructions to secure the booking. The deposit consists of first month's rent and the security deposit (bond) and is just to reserve the apartment and not a commitment. You have full payment control until you will check the apartment.  After you pay the deposit, the inspection time will be settled (you just tell them on which date you're available) and within 2 days, the agent will come to show you the apartment and help you with all the formalities so you can live in the apartment.
If you will be satisfied with the apartment, you can move there in the same day. All you have to do is to sign the rental contract and Airbnb will release the payment to me. I'm quite confident you will like the apartment, but if not, you still have the option to cancel, and get your deposit back from the agent, immediately.
Also, in case you're tied up in another contract and cannot move in immediately, we can arrange the viewing now, and reserve the apartment for you.
I would appreciate a quick response, because there are several others interested in the apartment, and I need to know if I can count on a deal with you.

I almost became a victim to who I believe is the same scammer using a different name. Now the name "Felicia Williams" was used. The person was using the exact same message. But it just seemed to be too good to be true.

Here is the email:

Hello,

I am glad that you are interested to rent my apartment.
My name is Felicia Williams, I'm 44 years old and I am working as a project manager for ADCO Construction. I lived in this apartment until May 2016, when my company started a new project in Ireland and I had to move here for the next 5 years, so the apartment is available for long-term. The apartment is fully furnished with all the necessary equipment and appliances.​ As you saw in the pictures it is in excellent condition, very clean and well kept. The rent will be $250 per week including utilities (hot/cold water, electricity, internet, cable TV). Also, a security deposit (bond) of $1000 is required at the start of the lease and it will be refunded at the end of the contract (a 30 day notice is required). You have full access to all building amenities. Pets are allowed. That's all i can say for now until you have a taste of my place.

In the meantime, can you please confirm the following:

· How many people would be living at the property?
· When would you like to move in? (check-in date)
· What term/length lease would you like?
· Do you have any pets?
· When are your most suitable times/days to view the property?

If further interested, please give me some information about yourself (age, job, lifestyle or whatever you think makes you a good tenant).
Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Unfortunately, I keenly replied as it really felt like a great deal! Although something in my gut was telling me there was something wrong, so I did some research using "[email protected]". I hope more people get to know more about this.