Rental Scammer - [email protected]

From: Monique Harrison <[email protected]>
Date: 2011/12/2
Subject: Re: 6 Exford St, Brisbane, Qld 4000
To: Michelle Banks


Hello,

Firstly I would like to thank you for your reply. I really appreciate that you’ve taken the time to answer me. I am the owner of the apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms located in 6 Exford St, Brisbane, Qld 4000. It is still available for rental at $250 p/w, including utility bills, and is available for as long as you need it. The apartment is in excellent condition and is well equipped. I bought it in 2008 and lived there with my pet until last month. At that point I received a promotion which meant I needed to move to Rome/Italy.
The apartment has the following equipment and services: fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble drier, iron, oven, toaster, coffee maker, vacuum cleaner, wide screen TV, cable TV with basic level access, ADSL internet and WiFi. There is a parking space for one car. I have spent a lot of money refurnishing the apartment, and would like to request that you treat it as if it was your own. I’m not trying to make a lot of money from renting the apartment. What I really want is to find a tenant who will take good care of it until I return. The minimum lease period is six months.
My contract in Rome runs until October 2015.
The fastest way to complete this rental agreement (within two working days) would be to use a worldwide delivery company, TNT ( www.tnt.com ). Working with them means you will be able to visit and view the apartment before I receive any payments from you. The keys are currently with me in Rome.
I’m hoping we can arrange a viewing as soon as possible and finalize the rental agreement.

Looking forward to hearing from.

Monique Harrison
40 Via Laurenti
00122 Roma (RM)
[email protected]

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.

I will explain you in few steps how this transaction should be made through
TNT for both protection.
1. Firstly you need to pay one month’s rent($1000) plus the bond ($1000) (a
total amount of $2000-) to the TNT agent. And you should send me your full
name and address so that I can fill out the lease agreement and start the
transaction.
2. I will send the keys and the signed lease contract using TNT two day
delivery service. They will then email you to let you know they have
received these. And providing they have received the payment from you they
will release the keys and the lease contract to you.
3. You can then check out the apartment.
4. If you like it, all you need to do is instruct TNT to release your
payment to me.
5. If you don’t like it, you should return the keys and lease contract to
TNT and they will refund the payment you have made.

I hope that you're OK with this and we can close the deal.

I thought perhaps I would string this person along and keep asking questions. I asked what would happen if the property got damaged? Since there is no real estate, and where do we go from here?

This was 'her' reply...

"You don't have to do anything at this point, i have to start the process. I need to let the keys and the lease contract in TNT possession. After that TNT will notify you that the process was started and they will email you all the details that you need to complete the transaction!
If something needs fixing, you have in the apartment a contact list. You will pay all the fees and i'll deduct the charges from the rent!
So if you want to proceed with the TNT process i would need your full name and delivery address.

Thank you"

This person has been reported to gmail.com

Hope it helps

Hello angelface and welcome to Scamwarners.com

The best advice I can give to tell the scammer that you no longer wish to continue; tell him that you have found alternative accommodation.

This Scammer is trying his scheme with so many people you will soon become forgotten about unless you continue to write to him thereafter.

Hi,

Thank you. Don't worry already done, I just wanted to make sure the all the companies that this person is impersonating are aware of the scam. Just wanted to help as much as I could.

Then comes the fake TNT e-mail

To: Michelle Banks
From: [email protected]
Subject: TNT Package Confirmation and Payment Request
Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2011 15:42:37 +0100

Dear Michelle Banks

Your invoice regarding the transaction is attached!

Thank you for using TNT
Giuseppe Ostia - TNT Customer Department
Rome Depot
4 Via Di Salone
00159 Rome
Italy
Customer Department
General Manager: Fabrizio Mariotti
Phone: 0039/3296007851


--Forwarded Message Attachment--







Important TNT Payment Instructions/Shipment Details
Please read the Instructions carefully.

Dear TNT Customer,

We have your package in our custody.
Tracking ( Consignement ) Number: AU53XXXXXXXWW ( Full Tracking Number Avaialble After the Payment is Transfered ).

Description Of Goods
Keys, Lease contract , Rent Receipts


Note:
Sender of package ( Landlord ): Monique Harrison
Receiver of package ( Tenant ): Michelle Banks

Delivery Address:

Address:
City / State:
Zip(City Code):
Country:

Delivery Type: TNT Express 2nd Day Delivery - After the Payment has been received and verified by TNT Amount to be paid by the Buyer: AUD $1,600.00
Payment Instructions - Receiver of the Payment - Lucilla Bazzani
The Payment must be made through WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER to the name of the TNT Agent who is in charge with this transaction - Lucilla Bazzani using the Money in Minutes Service from Western Union.
Important Note : The Payment must be made IN PERSON BY THE TENANT at one of WESTERN UNION'S Agent Locations. IT must NOT be made using WESTERN UNION'S SEND MONEY ONLINE SERVICES due to high Credit Card fraud risk. We will not confirm any payments made online.
You must GO to a WESTERN UNION Agent Location and make a Money Transfer to the name of the TNT AGENT who is responsible for this transaction - Lucilla Bazzani.
In order to complete the Money Transfer using the Money in Minutes Service you will need the Payment Details of our TNT Agent:

Please make your Money Transfer payable to:

First Name: Lucilla
Last Name: Bazzani
Address: 20 Via Donizetti
City: Rome
Zip(City Code): 00198
Country: Italy

After you have completed the Payment you will need to send the Payment Information for verification to our Payment Department at their e-mail address: Click here to send the Payment Information
The Payment Information you must send to us for verification is:
- MTCN (MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER): This is the ten digit number located on your WESTERN UNION Confirmation Receipt.
- Sender's Name and Address.(The Name and Address of the Sender of the WESTERN UNION Money Transfer).
- AMOUNT TRANSFERRED. (The sum of money transferred by the Sender).

Please read our TNT Payment Privacy Policy to learn about our Payment Release and Payment Refund Conditions..

1.The Payment will be sent to the Landlord by TNT only after you will have received the Package (keys and lease contract)and checked the Apartment. Only if you are completley satisfied with it will you instruct us to release the Payment to the Landlord.
2. TNT acts as a third party holding at the same time the package and the Payment.
3. After the Package has been received by the Tenant, the Tenant will have up to seven days to inspect the Apartment.
a) Should the Tenant decide to rent the Apartment the Tenant will instruct TNT to release the Funds to the Landlord.
b) If for any reason the Tenant should not wish to rent the Apartment, the Tenant will ask TNT for a Refund.
The Refund procedure is very simple. The Tenant will receive the Money from TNT through Bank to Bank Wire Transfer, or by Check or by WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER. The Refund method will be the choice of the Tenant.


Thank you for using TNT
Giuseppe Ostia - TNT Customer Department
Rome Depot
4 Via Di Salone
00159 Rome
Italy
Customer Department
General Manager: Fabrizio Mariotti
Phone: 0039/3296007851
Email: [email protected]

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