by Michelle
Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:44 am
On 21 August 2012 14:38, Garry Rushforth <[email protected]> wrote:
Hello Michelle
Thanks for your mail and your interest regarding my flat. I have attached the photos and the floor plan, please check your attachment. The minimum rent period is for 6 months and maximum 5 years. The property is available to be rented right away, no one is currently living there. The price of the rent is 1408 pounds/month for the whole flat (bills are not included) and you have to pay the first month of rent in advance.
The property is very clean and I want to find a responsible tenant. As you can see in the photos, everything is new in the flat. I am currently working in Madrid, Spain and I am here with my family. It's a bit hard for me to travel to London because of my working place and I have to be sure that you are really interested in my offer. Regarding the meeting, I think we can fix a date when I can travel back so we can reach an agreement. The property is fully furnished with all home utilities like: electric shower, vacuum cleaner, toaster, oven and microwave, dryer, iron, washing machine, refrigerator, dishwasher, heater, cable ready TV set and DVD player, Internet connection.
I shall be waiting for your mail if you think my flat is suitable for your needs and to make the necessary arrangements for the viewing as well.
Thank you, Garry
On 21 August 2012 15:01, Garry Rushforth <[email protected]> wrote:
Hello Michelle
As I already told you in my previous email, I am currently working for Santander Group and due to my special situation (being abroad) I have to be sure that you are really interested in renting the flat. My past experience of inviting people to see my property without a confirmation of their financial ability has brought great loss to me and I can not afford to find myself in a similar situation once again. Therefore, my lawyer and I have decided to carry out a simple test of financial ability before. I am not asking for your bank statements and I definitely do not want to receive any money from you before the meeting.
This is what we can do:
You will have to make a money transfer for the amount of 1408 pounds (one month of rent) through Money Gram to someone you know in the UK and then send the scanned receipt to me. As soon as I receive it, I'll forward it to my lawyer to verify its authenticity. After that, I'll book a flight and meet you.
So all you have to do is to find an Money Gram office and wire the 1408 pounds to a friend of yours and send the scanned receipt to me. I am asking you to do this so I'll have a confirmation of your truly interest.
This will prove to me that you are a serious and reliable person.
Let me know your response as soon as possible.
Thank you, Garry
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.
