Rental Scammer - [email protected]

From: Lora Colin <[email protected]>
Date: 2011/4/3
Subject: RE: Reply to your ad: A STYLISH AND BRIGHT ONE BED ROOM FLAT IN CENTRAL MANCHESTER
To: Michelle Banks


Thanks for your reply and the sincere interest you have in my flat. I am willing to reserve my flat for you and you can as well move in on your arrival date but it is unfortunate that my past bitter experience of inviting people to come and view or reserve my flat without any form of confirmation of their financial ability and not keeping up to time as at when scheduled and this has brought about great loss to me. I wouldn't want to collect any money from you before the viewing on your arrival.

Some potential tenants do not have the money to pay their rent and yet they disturb the landlord to arrange a viewing with their friend or relative who are in Manchester, also some do not meet up with the appointments which has led to the dismissal of some landlords in their place of work by their employers and can’t afford to find myself in a similar position.

Henceforth, my lawyer and I have decided to carry out a simple test on financial ability to pay for my rent before reservation take place. I would not ask you to send your bank statement or pay slip, but you're required to transfer atleast 1 month rent together with a security deposit of £ 400 which is refundable after your 1st month stay in my flat through the Western union money transfer. You can make the transfer with your friend or partner's name as a sender and your name as a receiver to an address in Manchester and you can as well use my flat address.

Once you have done this, scan the receipt to me so that i can forward it to my lawyer to verify if it's truly genuine and available in your custody, after verification, then we can proceed with the reservation and you can easily pick up the money at the nearest western union outlet close to my flat and also move in immediately. Nevertheless, I will refund the transfer charges by western union to you.

Kindly let me know if my explanation is well understood. I look forward to reading from you soon.

Regards
Mr/Mrs Colin
+447031871731

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.

Hello everyone! Thanks, God and You guys, I'v read this forum... Otherwise I could be the victim of lora colin, james maroney and harper adams too!!! You see, they are working all together. I have no words to say. As yet no one has stopped them??? I received more or less 10 letters:
1. L O R A C O L I N:
"he following are the basic details you need to know about the flat and only the living room is shared with a young professional.

Rent: £ 70.00 Per Week (£ 280.00 Per Month. £ 400 security deposit)
Utility bills inclusive ( water, gas, council tax, TV license and wireless Internet)
Home amenities includes - Washer/Dryer, Dishwasher,Microwave, Kitchen access, Storage, cable, phone

Moreover, the flat is fully furnished and equipped with all necessary house facilities also benefits a secured parking space but i can make it unfurnished if prefer. How many months do you intend to rent and do you have a reference in Leeds.

Kindly reply for further information.
Mrs Colin".
2. Thanks for the reply and the sincere interest you have in my flat. My flat is available and I am willing to have you in my flat as long as you pay your rent at when due.

However,it is unfortunate that my past bitter experience of inviting people to come and view 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.

Some outside tenants do not have the money to pay the rent and yet they disturb the the landlord to arrange a viewing with their friend or relative who live close by, also some do not meet up with the appointments which has led to the dismissal of some landlords in office by there employers.

Henceforth, my lawyer and i have decided to carry out a simple test on seriousness and financial ability to pay for my rent before coming for viewing. I would not ask you to send your bank statements or pay slip. At least 1 month rent of £ 280 together with the security deposit £ 400 which is refundable would be required from you to transfer to someone close to you through Western Union Money Transfer agent using your name as the Sender and your friend's name as the Receiver.

Once you have done this, scan the receipt to me and if you do not have scanner, you may write out the details on the receipt as i will send it to my lawyer to verify if it's truly genuine and available in your friend's custody, after verification, then we can proceed for the viewing.

Note that the transfer must be confirmed valid before the receiver picks up the money and also, i will refund back to you the cost of transfer when we meet.

I look forward to reading from you soon.

Regards
Mr/Mrs Colin

3. Thanks for getting back to me. I wouldn't want you to get me wrong and am not asking you to pay before the viewing, the idea of making a confirmation of your financial ability is not only my idea, my lawyer and i decided to use that process and i can't violate my lawyer procedure. I am a God fearing woman and i am not after your money. I have my own work and i earn enough money for my family and also to help the less privileged.

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 of you is to transfer the deposit to someone close to you through the Western union money transfer agent, 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 to confirm if the transfer is valid.

After the confirmation might have been made by my lawyer, i will ask you to tell your friend to pick up the money and schedule a convenient day 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.


I look forward to reading from you soon.

Regards
Lora Colin

Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 21:54:02 +0300
4. As soon as my lawyer confirm the transfer valid, then we can proceed with the viewing at your own convenient time. Concerning the financial test, Western union is a money transfer in a minute and the fastest way to send money. Here is the procedure stated below:

1.Locate the nearest Western union outlet around you.
2.Pick up the form of transfer and fill in the details which needs to be filled and return back to the post master.Details needed on the form are {sender name;your name and address.}{receiver name and address}
3. Return back to the post master with the cash you are transferring to your partner or friend and wait for the receipt to be returned back to you.
4. Scan the receipt to me so that i can forward it to my lawyer to check it if its truly genuine and available in your friend's custody.
5. After it has been confirmed valid, i will send you an email so that you can inform the receiver to go an pick up the money and thereafter, you'll schedule a convenient time for the viewing.

Hope to read from you soon and note that my lawyer need to verify the transfer valid before the receiver pick up the transfer.

Regards
Lora Colin

Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 22:55:56 +0300

1. JAMES MARONEY:
"Thanks for the interest you have in my flat. My flat is still available for rent and here are the necessary things you need to know about the rent and deposit.

Rent : £ 300.00 pcm
Minimum Stay : 1 Month Security Deposit: £ 500.00 (Returnable 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, 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? Kindly let me know when you will be able to come for the viewing of the flat.I will be looking forward reading back from you and i will like to know where you are coming from to stay in my flat.

Regards
Mr&Mrs Maroney

Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 13:45:11 +0100
From: [email protected]
To: Removed personal information. ~Bubbles
Subject: Reply to your ad: Roomsize in Good Condition double bed room flat in L,eeds".

2. Thanks for your swift response.It is unfortunate that my past bitter experience of inviting people to come and view 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 at (Kilrush Church of Ireland Graveyard, Co. Wexford ).

Some outside tenants do not have the money to pay the rent and yet they disturb the landlord to arrange a viewing with their friend or relative who are in Leeds, also some do not meet up with the appointments which has led to the dismissal of some landlords in office by there employees.

Henceforth my lawyer and i have decided to carry out a simple test on financial ability to pay for my rent before coming for viewing.All what i requested from you is to transfer at least 1 Month rent(£ 300) and security deposit which is (£ 500) = (£800) through Western Union Money Transfer. You can make the transfer with your name as the sender and a Family Member or friend's name as the receiver in the UK premises.

Once you have done this, Scan the receipt to me and if you do not have scanner, you may write out the details as it is stated on the receipt as i will be sending it to my lawyer to verify if it's truly genuine and available in your family member or friend's custody, after verification, then we can proceed for the viewing and you can as well tell your friend or Family member to pick up the money and also, i will refund back to you the cost of transfer when we meet.

Kindly reply if you have more questions to ask. +447024014809
Regards
Mr&Mrs Maroney.

Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 19:26:43 +0300

1. HARPER ADAMS:
"Hello,

First sorry for my late reply. My asking price is 400+100(including all taxes and bills) GBP per month and the first payment will be for 2 months of rent (1000 GBP), because the minimum period of rent is 2 months. The flat is very clean and I want to leave the flat to one person who is a clean and responsible tenant.
For me it is very hard to come in UK because of my working place, and if I will come I must be 100% sure that I will not come for nothing. As you can see in the photos everything it's new in the flat. I am working in Germany (Berlin) and I am here with my family.
Regarding the meeting, I think we could fix a date when I can come in UK for the viewing and we can reach an agreement. The property has a fully furnished kitchen, clean and well tidy sitting rooms, laundry room, and fully furnished with all home utilities like: electric shower, lounge, vacuum cleaner, toaster, oven and microwave, dryer, iron, washing machine , refrigerator , dishwasher, power shower, heater, cable ready, tv set and dvd player, internet connection, equipped kitchen and all utilities.
I am waiting for your mail to know if you are satisfied with the details of my flat which I have you, as well to know and arrange for the viewing of the flat and arrange for other necessary arrangements that are needed.
I am waiting for your response.

On Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 2:01 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:

Hi there alex, you have received a reply to your Gumtree posting "2 bed flat to rent, South Wharf Road, Paddington, W2" (ad# 77132441)".


AND ADS IN GUMTREE. UK APPEARED AND DISAPPEARED EVERY 5 MIN.

Welcome to ScamWarners jolkutev. It is good that you discovered this is a scam and thank you for posting this information up for others to find.

Yes, these posts get reported and scammers post new ones up as fast or faster than they can be taken down. Scammers are very persistent.

ONE MORE "LUXURY RENT PROPERTY"
Dynamic Double Bedroom flat in Leeds avaiilable for short and long term stay £75pw Catalina, Leeds City Centre, Leed, Leeds.

Available to couples

Yes
Date Available

05/04
Room Type

Double
Property Type

Flat

A fantastic opportunity to live in the lap of luxury. These serviced apartments are available from as little as a month with all bills included, internet and sky tv access, a weekly clean and an opportunity to live in style and comfort. Each one individually designed and furnished, they range from.A fantastic opportunity to live in the lap of luxury. These serviced apartments are available from as little as a month with all bills included, internet and sky tv access, a weekly clean and an opportunity to live in style and comfort. Each one individually designed and furnished, they range from one-bedroom serviced apartments, with or without balconies, two-bed residences, through to state-of-the-art rooftop penthouses

Ad reference: 77284905
Posted: 16 mins ago
This person has been posting since Apr-2011

BE CAREFUL!

OMG!! U SHOULD CHECK TODAY'S GUMTREE.COM FLATS IN LEEDS!!!! I ALREADY FOUND THREE NEW ADS OF THESE SCRAMMERS.

Yes jolkutev - take a look at Craigslist London postings. The proportion of scams can be anything up to and over 80%. That's why they're posting in respect of apartments in provincial cities. Scammers don't just post one ad, and they know the're competing against other scammers, so they flood sites with their scams.

They do the same with job and romance sites and they're like an infestation of vermin. Stamp on 10 and 100 take their place and spreading the word about them is the most effective means of combat.

Thank you SO much everyone, I was just about to fall victim to this scammer, it just seemed to good to be true and luckily a friend googled the name and your site came up!
This was the reply I got when I asked more about the room;

The following are the basic details you need to know about the flat

Rent: £ 70.00 Per Week (£ 280.00 Per Month. £ 400 security deposit)
Utility bills inclusive ( water, gas, council tax, TV license and wireless Internet)
Home amenities includes - Washer/Dryer, Dishwasher,Microwave, Storage, cable, phone

Moreover, the flat is fully furnished and equipped with all necessary house facilities also benefits a secured parking space but i can make it unfurnished if prefer. How many months do you intend to rent and do you have a reference in Cambridge.

Kindly reply for further information.
Mrs Colin

I hope this person gets the karma they deserve. Thanks again for saving the day! xx

Hie,
Even I am fed up with such emails..i needed a property to rent and i posted it on gumtree..and within half an hour,emails started to come with huge story and all..I have received more than 15 such emails from different id's and what made me laugh was similar story written in each email !! lol..I wish there was some way to stop all such ..most obvious way to know that it is a scam is that they will offer u beautiful properties at so cheap price that too inclusive of all bills !! And asking to send money via western union money transfer adds fuel to the fire..Actually I am a very funny person ,so i thought to teach these persons a lesson..I mailed them back fake western union money transfer details..lol..(u can easily get a receipt from google)..and i gave them contact number too but "not mine" but of different scam sending emails. I just shuffled the numbers and sent them across..and to few persons i messaged the number of a Scotland police officer.. I hope it would have made their day roaming at western union centers...They think that they can easily fool people but sometimes its good to fool them too...isnt it ??

Welcome nicolas!

I'm glad nobody can fool you.

However, you need to stop messing with these criminals. They might retaliate - they know your name, email account, and maybe more, depending on what you posted. They could harass you all over the internet. I'm quoting what our administrator, Dotti, wrote:

-sign your email address up for tons of spam.
-spoof the baiter/victim's email address and send out thousands of scam emails in their name (they will use a different reply-to address so that they get the real replies), in some cases essentially disabling the baiter/victim account due to the number of bounces, etc.
-report the baiter/victim as a scammer to their email provider
-if they are romance scammers, report their dating profile for scamming/facebook page, any other emails or profiles the scammer is aware of.
-go to anti-scam forums and other websites, and actually post the victims/baiters as scammers, or make nasty, vindictive posts accusing them of everything from adultery to felonies. This actually happens on scamwarners from time to time.
-send letters/emails to the baiter/victim's facebook friends trashing the person or making accusations as above. In one case, we actually encountered a romance victim whose scammer had emailed her employer--the nicest thing he called her in that email was a "whore".
-use the victim/baiter's physical address as the return address in fake check shipments--one victim went through several calls/visits from the police, and threatening/accusing calls and emails from the victims receiving those checks before it was sorted.