Chuck Brod (Rental Scam on Craigslist)

I received an email the other day in regards to a apartment in NY from "Chuck Brod" at [email protected]. I've very aware of scams and so I googled the name Chuck Brod and found a FB account for someone name Chuck Brod who says on his "wall" that someone has been using his identity and not to fall for the scam. I'm also suspicious that the FB account is fake too. It is a ploy to get people to send him messages from your FB account so he can hack you? BEWARE!!!

Below is the original CL posting and the email he sent me on April 17, 2011 :

"$900 / 1br - Sophistication at it finest! 36 Sutton Place South, (36 Sutton Place South, New York)"

Sophistication at it finest! 36 Sutton Place South, Apartment 12D. Apartment 12D is a large and gracious south facing one bedroom cooperative apartment located in one of Manhattan's most sophisticated neighborhoods. The apartment consist of a gracious entry foyer, large living room with a sizable dinning alcove open to the kitchen and a large master bedroom. There are 5 closets and a south facing balcony with river views.

Contact: [email protected]

Address: 36 Sutton Place South, New York

***************************

Hello,

My apartment is still available for rent. I am sure you would be asking yourself why my rent is low, that's because i am not too keen about the money in renting the apartment out but to whom i am renting the apartment out to. My intention is to rent my apartment to someone that is responsible and that would take great care of the apartment as if it were his or hers. I am very certain that you would love the comfy of the apartment, it is available for immediate move-in.

I would like you to know that i am giving this home out for rent because myself and my wife are currently in West Africa serving as humanitarians and would spend couple of years before i would be through with my assignment here. So my family and i have decided that we would be moving to the United Kingdom when we are through with our assignment here. So, we need someone that would take very good care of the apartment depending on how long you wish the Lease to last.

The address of my apartment is: 36 Sutton Place South, New York NY 10022

Rent Fees:
Rent Per Month: $900 (Including Utilities)
Security Deposit: $600 (Refundable)

APARTMENT FEATURES:

Large 1 Bdrm
1 Bath
Large Living Room
High Ceilings
Stainless Steel Appliances
Formal Dining Room
Hardwood Floors
Brand New Cabinets, Electric Cooker, dish washer & Refrigerator
Washer, Heater and Dryer in the apartment

I would like you to fill the below details:

RENT APPLICATION FORM:
FIRST NAME:_________
MIDDLE NAME:_________________
LAST NAME:__________________
AGE:_____
SEX:________________
PROFESSION:________________
MARITAL STATUS____________
TIME ON YOUR JOB:______
PHONE NUMBERS
(CELL)PHONE_____
(WORK)PHONE____
(HOME)PHONE_____
KIDS___ (YES/NO), HOW MANY_____
PRESENT ADDRESS:____
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING?_______
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN?________
IF YOU HAVE A PET?_____-
DO YOU SMOKE?______________
DO YOU DRINK?_________
DO YOU WORK LATE NIGHTS____

After i have received these details above, i would discuss with my wife and let you know my terms and how we would conclude the Lease process so you can move into the apartment asap.

I hope to hear from you soonest. You can call me on +234-808-087-7058.

God Bless.

Rev. Chuck Brod


Address: 36 Sutton Place South, New York NY 10022

I RECIVED A EMAIL TO HE CHANGED DA NAME HE IS UNDER ITS NOW MATTHEW




Hello,


Thanks for filling the application form and getting back to me regarding renting my apartment and wanting to take great care of it as if it were yours'. I discussed with my wife regarding renting the apartment to you and we have both agreed to rent our apartment to you. The rent fee is $800 while the security deposit fee is $600. The apartment is unfurnished and i am as certain as can be that you would really love it there. But first you would need to see the apartment and conclude if you like it or not.


Therefore after going through your mail and accessing your profile, we strongly believe that you are a respectable and responsible person, I am sure you would be able to take great care of the property. It would be appreciated if you can make the deposit payment ASAP so that i can file you as my new tenant and also send you the House Keys and House Documents. Also, Pets are allowed.


Please once again, we are giving you this on trust and do not disappoint us and we promise you that you will love the house and the peaceful serene environment. The Documents and Keys to the apartment are with me here and would be sent to you via UPS. I would also like to know if you are ready to make the deposit payment.


Here are the documents with me which I would be sending to you:


1) Entrance and the rooms Keys
2) Paper/Permanent house form (Containing your reference details)
3) Agreement Form which you would sign and send back to me.
4) The House Documentary file.
5) Payment Receipt.
6) Full address and description of the house
7) Authorization Letter signed by me which you would show to the Doorman and Super of the building to let you into the building.
Lease Agreement


I am very glad that you are taking the apartment. To view the apartment, you would need the Keys and the Authorization Letter which you would show to the Super before he can let you into the building and attend to you. I have arranged with UPS to ship the House Keys and Documents over to you. My wife and i has sort out a means which we can conclude the Lease arrangement to make it secure for both you and myself so you can view the apartment and if possible move in. Like i explained to you in my first email, i am currently in Africa and the keys would be shipped to you from here.


The payment should be deposited with Western Union. Now, in Western Union, Before i can pick up your money here, i would need a Proper ID and also a password (Security Test Question and Answer) to be able to receive the payment here. So, when making the payment with Western Union, the receiver's name should be a different name instead of mine: Matthew Wallis and you should password the transaction with a Test Question and Answer. You can use any name (Your fiancee's name or your friend's name) but don't give me the receiver's name you put on the form. The only information i need from you is the MTCN Number so i can call Western Union's 1-800-Number to confirm that you made the deposit.


The details to send the payment are found below:


RECEIVER'S NAME: ? (USE ANY NAME THAT SUITS YOU UNTIL YOU RECEIVE THE KEYS AND DOCUMENTS YOU CAN THEN CHANGE IT TO MINE: MATTHEW WALLIS)
ADDRESS: ECWA EVANGEL CLINIC
CITY: JOS
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
AMOUNT: $600 (SECURITY DEPOSIT)

After you have sent out the payment, send me the MTCN number so that i can confirm that the payment has been deposited with Western Union and after you receive the House Keys and Documents and you are satisfied with the apartment, you can then call Western Union so that they can change the receiver's name to mine: Matthew Wallis and then you can release the Test Question and Answer to me so that i can pick up the funds here but if you do not like the apartment, then you can go to the Western Union location where you sent the funds from, cancel the deposit and request for a refund of your money and send the keys back to me through UPS as i have a shipper's account with UPS.


Hope to hear from you asap. You can call me on: +234-808-087-7058


Dr. Matthew Wallis

You are perfectly correct, he has changed his name, but not his format:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/nfb/2336172188.html

Good Day,


My apartment is still available for rent. But i want you to know that i am renting my apartment out at a low price because i am only interested in you taking great care of the apartment and not the financial aspect of it.


I am currently in Africa on an assignment as a Physiotherapist and i have been serving for over 2 years now. I wanted to sell the apartment before using an agency but my wife and i have decided that renting it out would be better for us. I want you to know that you can stay in the apartment as long as you would like to stay as we are not planning on moving back into the apartment because we would be relocating to the United Kingdom from here. But we would be checking up on you once in a while to ensure that the apartment is well taken cared of.


You can read about me, my work here and also view a short video of my work here for the past 2 years. The links are below:


http://www.sim.org/index.php/content/ph ... in-nigeria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIgDpVUakSY


The address of my apartment is: 3546 74th Street #201, Queens NY 11372


Rent Fees:


Rent Per Month: $750 (Including Utilities)
Security Deposit: $550 (Refundable)


APARTMENT FEATURES:

Large 1 Bdrm
1 Bath
Large Living Room
High Ceilings
Stainless Steel Appliances
Formal Dining Room
Hardwood Floors
Brand New Cabinets, Electric Cooker, dish washer & Refrigerator
Washer, Heater and Dryer in the apartment


I would like you to fill the below details:


RENT APPLICATION FORM:
FIRST NAME:_________
MIDDLE NAME:_________________
LAST NAME:__________________
AGE:_____
SEX:________________
PROFESSION:________________
MARITAL STATUS____________
TIME ON YOUR JOB:______
PHONE NUMBERS
(CELL)PHONE_____
(WORK)PHONE____
(HOME)PHONE_____
KIDS___ (YES/NO), HOW MANY_____
PRESENT ADDRESS:____
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING?_______
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN?________
IF YOU HAVE A PET?_____-
DO YOU SMOKE?______________
DO YOU DRINK?_________
DO YOU WORK LATE NIGHTS____


After i have received these details above, i would discuss with my wife and let you know my terms and how we would conclude the Lease process and also send you the Keys to the apartment so that you can move into the apartment asap.


I hope to hear from you soonest.


God Bless.


Matthew Wallis

Thank you for posting about this, while I refused to send the money, you saved me from whatever other miseries this person could have inflicted.

^^^ Can anybody reading the above post please flag the advert as prohibited. http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/nfb/2336172188.html

For clarification in order to help others searching, the name change DOCTOR WALLIS MATTHEW goes with the email address: [email protected]