Rental Scammer - [email protected]

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From: [email protected]
Subject: Response to your enquiry about my flat in Bloomsbury, London
To: Con Warner

Hi,

Thanks for your response to my ad.The flat is two bedroom apartment and here is little details about the flat before we proceed.

Flat address: Huntley Street, Bloomsbury,London
Post Code: WC1E 6AJ
Rent: £500 per month,all bills included for a room while the two rooms is £1000
Security deposit:£500 refundable after four weeks in the flat.
Minimum Stay: 1 Month(s)
Maximum stay:1 yr with the option of extending the contract after 12 months

Flat amenities:TV ,CD - DVD - Video,Radio,High-speed Internet with WiFi,Washing Machine ,dryer, Heating, iron and Ironing board,Gas cooker,oven, Electric Kettle,Toaster,Dishwasher,Refrigerator, Microwave e.t.c
The pictures of the flat are hereby attached with this email.

Location: tottenham court road is a 2 minute walk tesco, sainsbury, m&s and many shops and cafes are on tottenham court road. fitness first is in tottenham court road too while oasis swimming baths is close by.

transport:
closest tube stop:
goodge street (northern line)
other tube stops:
tottenham court road: (central and northern lines)
warren street (victoria and northern lines)
russell square (piccadilly line)
euston square (metropolitan, circle,
hammersmith and city lines)

Could you tell me a bit about yourself and where you are presently located now?

Will you be able to take good care of my flat like your own?

Are you capable of funding the rent and refundable deposit before moving in?

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,
Michelle.

This person asks for proof that you are able to pay the deposit and rent (for a property that he does not own) due to a string of time wasters.
This proof is in the form of a Western Union, MoneyGram or bank transfer either to him, his lawyer, your friend or a family member.

Sounds safe. It's not!

At other times, this person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union or Moneygram with the promise that they will send the keys through a courier company.

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.

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.

Last seen writing from IP address 82.128.0.64 (Lagos Nigeria)

From: Michelle Johnstone <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:21:41 +0000
To: Michelle Banks
Subject: Email me back to proceed

Hi Michelle,

There's no problem in inviting you for the viewing,I currently work and live in Manchester so I will need to take a day off from work in order to come down to arrange the viewing with you.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, is either they cannot afford the rent or the security deposit required but want me to come down with the aim of renegotiating.

I have consulted my lawyer and we have resolved that any potential tenants should be able to prove in the following way in order to determine who is financially buoyant and that he or she can stick to appointment when scheduled and able to pay his/her rent as at when due.In this case, a bank-statement or guarantee from your organization wont be accepted as we have had wayward tenants tendering fake documents.

PROCEDURE:

1) Transfer the amount £1100 (1 month rent and security deposit) to any of your family members or your friend via Western Union at the nearest Western Union outlet/shop close to you. You can ask any of them to make the transfer to you either.

Your Name (as Sender) to any of your family members or your friend (as Receiver) in London or any of them make you the receiver.

2) Scan & Send a copy of the Western Union transaction receipt as a proof of the transaction or mail me the transaction details. (The money is safe as it is only you that can withdraw since you need a ID card or International passport)

3) Then, we will meet for viewing.

4) If you decide to take the flat, we will go to any local Western Union outlet close to the flat for you to pick up the money and pay me. (You don't need to come with cash to view, after viewing we will go together, you will cancel the transfer and withdraw the money to pay me).

5) Keys will be handed over to you after signing the contracts.

I do not want you to have the feeling that I am asking for money BEFORE you see what you are renting because I know that payment is meant to be done AFTER you have seen the Flat and okay with it that is why I said you should make the transfer to yourself so that you will be the one to receive the money and pay me in person after the viewing.

If you are ready ,you can go ahead and make the transfer and let me know immediately you do the transfer so that I can know how to squeeze out time to come and meet you.You will need to scan the copy of the transfer receipt and email it to me to confirm it online in order to know you have made the transfer and to let you know that I will return back to you the full transfer charges whether you decide to rent the flat or not when we meet.

Let me know if you are ok with this arrangement so that we can proceed.

Kind regards,
Michelle.