is this a rental scam?

Hello can anyone please help me identify whether or not this is a rental scam?

I read that excessive poor grammar and having capitalized and uncapitalized "I" might be indication of a scam. However, the renter did not say that I need to wire money to anyone. This is my first time renting so I don't know. The renter also did send me several pictures.

Any help?

Thanks in advance.

Second email after my response

Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me quickly,am really glad..Here is a little about me.I work with PwC Oil and Gas here in Canada and am also a freelance in fashion designs.well for now i will be renting the room for about 12 months for now might increase the lease term but for now it is just going to be for 12 months..Am coming for a Geological inspection of a Fueling station and the marketing of crude and natural gas in your City on behalf of my Company..I am single and 27 years old,i love my work.I am very happy for your reply that shows the kind of person i am renting from..Am really glad to have details about the room...its just great..its what am looking for...you;re God sent...i am an easy going lady and surely u will enjoy my stay in the u.s.a...i really want to promise u that we ll surely have the best of time...Here is just more about me,i drink socially and dont smoke at all,I am active and have no kids but i do love kids,I speak Only English but love to learn other languages like chinese etc,my educational degrees are MCSA/MCSE,I am a christian and Geologist by Profession,I am 5' 6" (167cm),Weight: 122 pounds (55.0kg),Average Body.I will like to secure the apartment soon before coming over to the states as you know..I surely hope i will enjoy my stay in the US..My boss will be responsible for all the expenses of the payment all i have to do is to confirm the amount of the room including the utilities which you have just confirmed to me and also let him know am very okay with the place and then get it sent to him including the information in which the payment will be issued to..These are the Information I will be needing from you below.

Full Names( As you want it to appear on the payment),House Address
( Where you want the payment delivered by a Courier Service)I will
want the House Address in full and state,city and zipcode,Your
Telephone Number(s)(For Constant Communication)

I will need you to get back to me with this information asap and also need you to understand that i will be using a car which i will purchase when i arrive and need to understand if there will be a parking space for that..I Would be waiting to hear from you asap and i expect to tell you to tell me more about yourself.Hope to hear from you asap.cheers
Regard


First email

Greetings,how are you?if you truly have a room then I'd like to introduce myself,am ***.i saw your advert on craigslist.org introduced to me by a friend and am interested in your rental listing under the rooms/shared.Please let me know your fixed rent per month and also provide me with the following information's;is the unit you have available for rent fully furnished and finished?would I be responsible for paying the utilities? when will the unit be available?how secured is the area?please give me a reply to let me know if you will be of further assistance to me and let me know if you accept check as mode of payment.God bless you.
Best regards

Yep, it's a scam.

The English is unmistakeably African, and the storyline itself is actually textbook scam.

Scammers like this often don't mention wiring money in the emails. Instead, they send a (fake) check for more than the amount, and wait until you have received it to mention money transfers. Occasionally the check won't be for over the amount, but they will have to cancel and need you to refund most of the money.

Dotti,

Thank you for the response. Could you please tell me what sort of problems I should expect if I cash the cashier's check? Not that I would though...

I always thought that a cashier's check was a secure method of payment.

Thanks in advance.

It is possible to forge any kind of check. This is what scammers do. If the bank teller can identify it is a forgery they will not accept it. They may involve the police because it is a forgery though.

If the teller cannot tell it is a forgery, the banking system will figure it out and then you will be held liable for all of the funds the bank gave you for the check. You will most likely be visited by the police and you could spend time in jail, not to mention court costs. This has happened to more than one victim.

If you receive a check, your best bet is to turn it over to the police along with all of the email you have exchanged. Second choice would be to mark it as a forgery or destroy it. The police may be interested in the package it arrives in too.

Your best best is to stop all communications with this scammer / criminal. Forgery is a crime.

Can you help me, this is my first inquiry into this, I am renting a room in my house and I advertised only with the local universities. this is the email from beginning to end and the last response is what made me want to check into this. If anyone knows about this let me know, I got to this website by goggling her address and nothing cam up but when I goggled it with out the @yahoo i got sent to this link, so now I am really wondering is she is trying to scam me.

Hi, Thanks for your response. It is estimated that there are more than 6 million children suffering from heart disease worldwide. Each year, 1 million children are born with congenital heart diseases, of which only 200 000 have access to proper care. The remaining 800 000 do not have any hope as they are born in under-developed countries lacking doctors, medical materials, nurses, technicians, education and adequate hospital structures. As a consequence, today, in the world, there are 2 to 4 million children awaiting cardiac surgery or lifesaving interventions.I work at the Social responsibilty department, of Redrow PLC. This research study is in partnership with World Health Organisation (WHO), I voluntered myself with other of my collegues. We are posted to different part of the world to Asia, Africa, Austra etc My name falls to USA, lowa. The research may require traveling sometimes as researches would be carried out in different institutions across America. Ok. Please, provide me with the following payment information for my company:
1. Your full names (as it will appear on the cheque).
2. Work or home address to ensure a safe delivery to your mail box.
3. Your phone number to keep track with you. I must say you a very responsible woman and I'd like to know more about you - Do your children live with you and what are the names of the dogs? Takecare, Anna------------------------------

On Tue, May 8, 2012 2:51 PM BST Removed identifying information. ~Bubbles wrote:

>>>Anna, >
Yes there are two shopping malls in our area, within 5 to 10 miles from my home, There are several Churches in the direct vicinity of my home, with in 2 miles some even closer. >There is Bus Service, no rail service anywhere near Waterloo, closest Passenger Railway will but about 2 hours south of Waterloo. We have street parking and my home has a 1 stall garage. Pretty much all of Iowa is farm country, Cities are not very big. Waterloo / Cedar Falls this is where I live, the population is about 100,000 and Des Monies Iowa the state capitol is approximately 250,000 . > Where will you be studying? > Certified Check will be perfect. >Hope I have answered your questions, please let me know if you need further information. >Thank you >Debra>> >>>

Date: Tue, 8 May 2012 09:47:41 +0100>> From: [email protected]>>
Subject: RE: Hi, I'm Interested>> To: Removed identifying information. ~Bubbles

>> >> >> Thanks for your response. I'm okay with the room description and rent fee. I'll soon be through with my program here in Wales and will be having my study leave over there. I've informed my company about this and they have made necessary provision towards the payment of my rents. Paying my rent on time won't be an issue of discussion as I'll be entitled to salaries while on my leave. I should arrive there whenever date we agree on so please hold the room for me.>> >> I'll like to know if there are shopping mall, churches, bus line, rail way line very close to the neighbour hood, are there any garage or car park?>> >> What's your mode of payment because I'll prefare to pay with a certified check and I'd like to make an advance payment ahead of my arrival which stand as kind of committment for you to hold the apartment. I'd be glad to have all this questions answered in your next email.>> >> Thanks,>> >> Anna>> ------------------------------>>

On Mon, May 7, 2012 4:09 PM BST Removed identifying information. ~Bubbles wrote:>>

>> >>> >Anna, >> >
When will you be in Iowa? The room specification I am not quite sure of I will measure them tonight and get back with you on that. I have attached pictures of my home and of the room. I do have two dogs myself and you will be sharing the home with me. I am 51 years old a widow of 8 years . I am a very nice trusting person. I am certain we would have no complications getting along with each other. >> >The room will be available June 1. the rate will be $275.00 this includes all utilities, and laundry room availability as well. >> >I have a study area set up in my home so you will have a quite place to study. >> > Please let me know if this will work for you. >> > Thank you >> > >> >>> >

Date: Mon, 7 May 2012 04:46:30 -0700>> > Subject: Hi, I'm Interested>> > From: [email protected]>> > To: >> > >> >

Hi,>> > >> > How are you doing today? My name is Anna ford im 28years from Great>> > Britain. I saw your advert online about your room /apartment for rent>> > which i'm interested in. I'm presently in wales, i will soon be having>> > my study leave and research on children with heart related problems in>> > your country . The most important thing is that i need to secure a>> > room before my arrival. Pls do get back to me with the room>> > description,move in rent fees for the first month and any deposit if>> > included .>> > >> > Kindly let me know the duration of the rent( How long do you intend to>> > rent the room/apartment out for? ).I don't drink nor smoke,no pets and>> > no boyfriend, i am a very serious lady,dedicated to my work. Please>> > kindly get back to me with the move in rent fee for the first month>> > and i will appreciate it if you can also furnish me with the room>> > specification and pictures.>> > >> > Thanks and do hope to hear from you soonest.>> > >> > Regards>> > >> > Anna ford.>> >>

It's a classic overpayment scam. The scammer will send a fraudulent check for over the cost of the rent, and will ask you to cash it and forward the difference for some reason. Later, when the fraud is discovered, you would be left holding the bag.

The writing also tells me that the person contacting you is African, not British.

Thank you very much, so glad I listened to my intuition