Rental Scammer - [email protected]

Von: Natalia Kowalska <[email protected]>
Betreff: Friedenstraße 19 , 89073 Ulm, Mitte


Good Day,
I am very glad that you are interested to rent my apartment , my name is Paulina Natalia Kowalska and I am from Poland .
If you are really interested please reply me in English with all your inquiries .
Looking forward to hear from you .
Thank You and Have a great day!

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,
I found post on your website. Also wanted to book apartment in Germany, and before several weeks I start conversation with this person Paulina. The same mail I get like it is in your post…
OMG, I wanted to pay to that person some amount of money next week. Good that I saw your post…I found that this is scam when I put that name in google search…
I still cant believe is this possible:((((
Thanks…I dont know whom do I report this person???
Please let me know what is best to do.
p.s. I already sent copy of my passport to that person ((((
To go to police? Im not in EU...still doesnt know is there anything I can do...
Can that person do something illegal l with copy of my passport???
Please help!

Hello ArambasiV

You have told me 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.

Thank you one more time. I will contact police!
Also I wrote to website https://www.immobilienscout24.de which that person use for this scam. There the same apartmant is advertise several times under that name. I just discovered that.