Rental Scammer - [email protected]

I found their ad on Craigslist. (Los Angeles) Their story sounded believable, but their asking price was a little too good to be true and the grammar in the email was questionable. Their names did not come up with any results on Google which made me more suspicious. Searching for the phone number led me to your site. What steps can we take to get the authorities involved? (I feel that if I print out this thread and take it to my local Police Station they will simply say that there is nothing they can do as no crime has been committed.)

Title of their Craigslist ad:
$800 / 1br - Bright sunny one bedroom apartment with hardwood floors (Culver city)

Email thread:

First email from: John Calgary [email protected]

Thanks for your interest in my apartment. I am looking for a responsible & clean tenant that will be able to take good care of my apartment. I work as a research associate and I travel a lot, Presently I'm in United Kingdom for a research and I don't know when I will move back to the United States that's why am looking for a tenant who will live in the apartment and take care of because I don't want to sell it. The apartment is available for long term and short term rental. The apartment is located at 5333 Kinston Ave Culver City, CA 90230

I will come to California for a visit to see how you maintain the apartment. The apartment is furnished but if you need it unfurnished, I can have the furniture moved to the storage. The rent is inclusive of the below listed utilities.

• High Speed Internet
• In-Suite Laundry
• Large in-suite storage
• Cable
• Heat & AC


It's a spacious and lovely 1-bedroom 1 bathroom and storage room furnished apartment, Utilities are included and Pets are allowed. Kitchen fully equipped, Kettle - Toaster - Dishwasher - Freezer - Microwave - Oven - Dryer - Heat - Water - Washing Machine and Electric. I want you to note that I'm a kind and honest man and I spent a lot on my property so I want good maintenance for the apartment and I want you to treat it like it's your property.I want to have trust in you as I always stand on my words.

The rent is $800 per month with utilities included and parking available. You can drive by the building at your convenient time to view the exterior of the building.If you're interested and willing to proceed I will send you pictures if the interior so you know what it looks like. I will ship the keys and documents of the apartment to you via UPS overnight delivery if you're willing to rent the apartment. Email my wife Karen on ([email protected]) so she can send you pictures and more details regarding the apartment.


Regards
John

Second email from "the wife": Karen Calgary [email protected]

Thanks for your email, My husband own the apartment and we moved out because of his job transfer and we are looking for someone who will take good care of the apartment.We live in London England (UK) in our new home and also I am with the keys and documents of the apartment,we tried to look for an agent before we left but didn't locate any agent close to us and we didn't want the apartment to be in a bad condition that's why we took the keys and documents along with us here .Hope you are okay with the price per month with hydro,heat laundry facilities,air condition, internet connection and so on.View pictures in the attached files. If you're interested write back so I can send you an email with the rent application.


Hope to read from you soon
Karen

Third email, from Karen:

Thanks for your response once again, I really appreciate your expression. We don't have any friend or relative to show the interior of the apartment because I'm with the keys and documents.I want you to fill out the questions in the attached application and you must answer those questions to qualify for the rental. We would offer a long term and short term rental and we are ready to rent for as long as you want. Note : You won't be able to view inside the apartment until we finalize everything since the keys /documents is here with me in London England(UK). You can only view the apartment from the outside. The rent per month includes all UTILITIES with PARKING available.

Awaiting your reply so we can proceed.Please we're doing this transaction based on trust & honesty ,we're putting everything into Gods hand, so please do not let us down. N:B : If you can pay two months, you will get one month free.I had an accident which affected my hearing and my legs , I am currently on a wheel chair right now, I do not use a phone that's why I am always online, if you are interested, you can fill out the rent application in the attached file and get back to me as soon as possible. You can call my husband on +447031833137

Note:- We're looking for someone who is ready to move in as soon as possible since our apartment is free right now and we will be giving out a month free.

Regards
Karen

Yes!!

I just dealt with them:


Mary Thompson [email protected]
Matt Thompson [email protected]

Thank you so much for your reply, I can see your willingness in this apartment. I want you to know that I'm satisfied with your application and also believe we can trust in you because I wouldn't like to experience what we experienced from my last tenant again.The rent fee is includes the apartment utilities, so you can use the utilities anytime (UTILITIES INCLUDED WITH THE RENT PER MONTH) but make sure you take proper care of my property.I will be receiving the payment via Western union and get back to me with the full address on where to send you the keys and documents.
Accommodation Features
..............................
.....................
Wood Floor :
Heater :
Central Heating :
Equipped Kitchen :
Tv: Cable/Satellite TV:
Video/Stereo:
Internet :
Air Conditioning:
• Full Kitchen
• Refrigerator:
• Garage/Car park
• pets allowed.
Kitchen Features
...................... ...........
Washing machine:
Juice Machine :
Iron :
Toaster:
Oven :
Dishwasher :
Coffee Maker :
Microwave :
Refrigerator:
Stove:
As soon as you pay the deposit payment of $1800 ( 2 months + security deposit ) the apartment keys/documents will be delivered to you via UPS courier service on a next day delivery and it will be delivered to the address you provided in your application form.Let me read back from you as soon as possible so that I can arrange for the delivery of the keys/Documents.If you wish to move in with your own property,we still have one extra room empty so you can easily put my our things you don't need in there.

Here are the contents that will be delivered to you via UPS courier service.
1) Entrance and the rooms Keys
2)Paper/Permanent apartment form(Containing your reference details)
3)The apartment documented file.
4)Payment Receipts.
5)Full address and description of the apartment
.
Get back to me via email if you need me to send you the information on how to send the deposit payment via western union so I can proceed shipment on how to send you the keys and documents.

Hope to read from you soon.
Thanks and God bless you

------

Below is the information you will need in sending the payment via Western union to my husband.

Receiver's Name :- Matt Thompson
Address : 121 Bryan Ave
Country : London England UK

As soon as you send the payment from the Western Union, you would be given some information. You would have to get back to me with following information:
Sender's Name:
Sender's Address:
MTCN # 10 Digits number given to you by Western Union.
Amount sent :

--------------


Thanks for your interest in my apartment. I am looking for a responsible & clean tenant that will be able to take good care of my apartment. I work as a research associate and I travel a lot, Presently I'm in United Kingdom for a research and I don't know when I will move back to the United States that's why am looking for a tenant who will live in the apartment and take care of because I don't want to sell it. The apartment is available for long term and short term rental. The apartment is located at 11366 Venice Blvd Culver City, CA 90066

I will come to California for a visit to see how you maintain the apartment. The apartment is furnished but if you need it unfurnished, I can have the furniture moved to the storage. The rent is inclusive of the below listed utilities.

• High Speed Internet
• In-Suite Laundry
• Large in-suite storage
• Cable
• Heat & AC


It's a spacious and lovely 1-bedroom 1 bathroom and storage room furnished apartment, Utilities are included and Pets are allowed. Kitchen fully equipped, Kettle - Toaster - Dishwasher - Freezer - Microwave - Oven - Dryer - Heat - Water - Washing Machine and Electric. I want you to note that I'm a kind and honest man and I spent a lot on my property so I want good maintenance for the apartment and I want you to treat it like it's your property.I want to have trust in you as I always stand on my words.

The rent is $800 per month with utilities included and parking available. You can drive by the building at your convenient time to view the exterior of the building.If you're interested and willing to proceed I will send you pictures if the interior so you know what it looks like. I will ship the keys and documents of the apartment to you via UPS overnight delivery if you're willing to rent the apartment. Email my wife Mary on ([email protected]) so she can send you pictures and more details regarding the apartment.


-----



Thanks for your email, My husband own the apartment and we moved out because of his job transfer and we are looking for someone who will take good care of the apartment.We live in London England (UK) in our new home and also I am with the keys and documents of the apartment,we tried to look for an agent before we left but didn't locate any agent close to us and we didn't want the apartment to be in a bad condition that's why we took the keys and documents along with us here .Hope you are okay with the price per month with hydro,heat laundry facilities,air condition, internet connection and so on.View pictures in the attached files. If you're interested write back so I can send you an email with the rent application.


--
Thanks for your response once again, I really appreciate your expression. We don't have any friend or relative to show the interior of the apartment because I'm with the keys and documents.I want you to fill out the questions in the attached application and you must answer those questions to qualify for the rental. We would offer a long term and short term rental and we are ready to rent for as long as you want. Note : You won't be able to view inside the apartment until we finalize everything since the keys /documents is here with me in London England(UK). You can only view the apartment from the outside. The rent per month includes all UTILITIES with PARKING available.

Awaiting your reply so we can proceed.Please we're doing this transaction based on trust & honesty ,we're putting everything into Gods hand, so please do not let us down. N:B : If you can pay two months, you will get one month free.I had an accident which affected my hearing and my legs , I am currently on a wheel chair right now, I do not use a phone that's why I am always online, if you are interested, you can fill out the rent application in the attached file and get back to me as soon as possible.

Note:- We're looking for someone who is ready to move in as soon as possible since our apartment is free right now and we will be giving out a month free.