Rental Scammer - [email protected] /

From: Berenike Thabitis <[email protected]>


Good afternoon,

Thank you for your recent inquiry message sent to my daughter, Korina, showing your interest in our flat (48m², ground floor) from Ahlbecker Str. 9, Prenzlauer Berg 10437, Berlin.

The rent of 470 € includes the water, TV licence & WIFI bills.

The cost for electricity/heating is paid separately by yourself, according to your monthly consumption. The heating works with electricity, so there will be only one bill that may vary between 50-100€ (warm/cold months).

The security deposit is 940 €.

Anmeldung/Wohnsitz is possible, as I am the landlord (this is not an Airbnb rental).

I am quite flexible with the move-in date (between the 1st of April and the 1st of May) and I would prefer signing a long term contract, but I am open to suggestions.

Regards,
Berenike

This person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union, MoneyGram 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.

Berenike Thabitis <[email protected]>

If you're really interested and decided, you can secure the apartment from now on, and I will keep it available for you until we meet.

It is unfortunate that my past bitter experience of inviting people to come and view my apartment without any form of confirmation of their financial ability and not keeping up to time as at when scheduled, has brought great loss to me.

I'm sure you are honest person so please don't understand me wrong but some tenants are not really decided or do not have the money to pay the rent and yet they disturb me to arrange a viewing with their friends.

My husband and I have decided to carry out a simple test on seriousness and financial ability before coming for viewing.

I want to be sure that when we'll meet in Berlin, it might be a chance that we'll do the renting papers, sign the renting contract, give you the keys and return to my home if you really like the flat conditions. I will not ask for money in advance before moving in, I don't need any deposit from you or pay me any money at all.

But as a warranty that you really can afford to rent my apartment, I require that you arrange a money transfer, on your name!

Because I used this system with my daughter when she lived in Berlin, here is what I propose:

A family member must find the nearest Western Union office, and send you a money transfer with the cost of the security deposit + first month's rent ( 940 € + 470 € = 1410 € ) sent to you, and on your name.

This transfer will be a warranty, so I can be sure that you will wait for me in Berlin when I will arrive.

Example of transfer:

sender’s name : family member's name


receiver’s name : Your Name
receiver’s address :

After the transfer is done, you will receive a receipt. You have to take a picture of it and send it to me attached trough e-mail, as evidence. This proof will be enough for me to see that your interest in renting my apartment is real.

At my turn, I will book the flight ticket immediately and send you a copy of it. Then, we will set up a place and a time when we should meet in Berlin.

After we meet, you will inspect the apartment and if you want to keep it, we will go to a notary office and do all the needed paperwork. Then, we’ll go together to a bank branch that has a Western Union office and you will collect your money, and make a bank deposit in my personal account where I want to receive the rent payment monthly.

Please note that I will pay for the notary fees when signing the rental contract.

Thanks for your time and understanding,
Berenike

This person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union, MoneyGram 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.