Rental scam? Likehome-uk.com

Hi,
I was looking around on craigslist for an appartment in London and found a pretty nice place. Honestly, I'm not too sure what pricing is so I am not sure if it is cheap or not. Anyways, wrote to him about 2 appartments he has. Got a response from [email protected] for both emails:

Response 1:

Thank you for your enquiry.

The property you have selected is currently available.

Property: Mansfield Street, Marylebone, London, W1G 9NF

Packaged rent: £800.00
Cleanout Fee: £30.00
Refundable Security Deposit: £250.00.

It’s fully furnished, with internet; kitchenette and we provide clean linens and towels.

If you would like to proceed with the above quotation, please reply to this email.
If this quotation does not suit you, let us know and we can send you some alternatives.

This quotation is valid in terms of price for 15 days from the date of this email, on a first come first served basis.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Carl Brumage

Response 2:
Hello

Thank you for your enquiry.

The property you have selected is currently available.

It’s fully furnished, with internet; kitchenette and we also provide clean linens.

The monthly rate is £1,200.

To proceed please request for reservation procedure.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Carl Brumage
077000 95917


--


LikeHome Properties
London - United Kingdom

2 weeks later, I asked some more questions about the apartment and he said it was no longer available. He then sent me to view his other properties on their website: likehome-uk.com (his email is .co.uk which I found weird that it did not match with the website's .com)

In his latest email he simply advises me that 1 of the 2 units I was now interested in was now available and the pricing (350 pounds pw).

Any help would be great! THANKS.

The domain has been registered for a month, and in the name of an individual, not a company. It was registered for 2 years, the minimum possible registration for a .co.uk domain.

Domain name:
lh-mail.co.uk

Registrant:
Donald Kay

Registrant type:
UK Individual

Registrant's address:
The registrant is a non-trading individual who has opted to have their
address omitted from the WHOIS service.

Relevant dates:
Registered on: 19-Aug-2012
Expiry date: 19-Aug-2014
Last updated: 19-Aug-2012

Considering the fact that there are several properties for sale in Marylebone, listed at over 2 million pounds, that rent is certainly suspect!

Then we go to the website. Again, only a month old. Registered for minimum interval, registered under hidden information (this makes sense for some kind of websites, but a legitimate business that is selling to the general public is not generally going to hide their details.)

Domain Name: likehome-uk.com
Created on..............: 2012-08-17
Expires on..............: 2013-08-17

Administrative Contact:
Domain Discreet Privacy Service
ATTN: likehome-uk.com
12808 Gran Bay Pkwy, West
Jacksonville, FL 32258
US
Phone: 1-902-7492701
Email: [email protected]

Those are some pretty significant red flags.

Then I look at the website, and it says this:

Our long experience gleaned over ten years of trading gives us a unique insight into the industry

And it has "reviews" dating back to 2010, two years before the domain was even registered!

Has all the hallmarks of a fake site. Definitely wouldn't touch this with a 10 foot pole!

I had the same dodgy experience. I phoned "Carl" and it sounded like the call was route forwarded to three different mobile numbers. The person who answered was barely understandable and told me "Carl" would be back in 15 minutes. This is not a business, it's a scam. Stay away. I wasted my time, but fortunately not my money.

---
Hello

Thank you for your reply and your interest in our property.

Property: Elvaston Place, Knightsbridge, London, SW7 5NL
Arrival Date: 16th Nov. 2012
Departure Date: 26th Nov. 2012
Daily Rent: £65.00 ( 10 nights £650.00 )

Refundable Security Deposit: £200.00 ( Refunded few minutes before check out )

To book the apartment 60% of the rent rate and the £200 refundable security/damages deposit,has to be in advance by bank transfer and the balance on arrival.

Price includes final cleaning, linen and towels, gas and electricity.

All bills inclusive, no others fees or taxes.

We offer a 15% Discount on every full payment during reservation.

If the above quotation suits you, please progress with the booking here and select payment method.

For booking click here. // http://bit.ly/OtCZO0 //

For terms and conditions click here. // http://bit.ly/Ur5RKR //

Regards,

Carl Brumage
077000 95917

Like Home Rentals
London - United Kingdom

The website www.likehome-uk.com is in the process of being reported for fraud.

So what is the recourse for the people who did make the reservation and paid with a wire to them? I apparently was burnt by these guys and would like to know how I can prosecute them. They should have information at the bank for them so that they can except these funds. Any help will be appreciated!

Welcome to ScamWarners Jarzoo. Unfortunately, once money is picked up, there is no way to retrieve it. The scammers cover their tracks and actions real well and hide behind fake names and disposable email accounts. They use bank accounts owned by "mules" or un-knowing participants who allow their accounts to be used, believing they are doing legitimate work.

Holding out hope that the funds will be recovered is actually setting yourself up for a "Recovery Scam" in which a scammer claims to be able to retrieve your money. Sadly, it is gone for ever.

Hi guys.
Thanks so much for exposing this property as a scam. I had so many red flags but it was checking this site that confirmed it for me. FYI, the this Carl Guy has this property listed on "rentaflat.com" now. That is where I found it.