Rental Scammer - [email protected]

Agata Bjorn has been 'bjorn' again... (terrible pun!)
This time he/she is using the name "Gabriella Sivert" ([email protected]) and posting on Craigslist:


Re: £175 / 70ft² - 1 bedroom flat (Picadilly)?
Hello,

My name is Gabriella Sivert and i am from Sweden .
Thanks for showing interest in the apartment,the apartment is still very much available.
I had an aunt in London and after her death she left me her apartment from London a few years ago.
Till last mounth the apartment was rent by some stutdents from Germany and now they left and the apartment is available for rent again.
The property has huge bedrooms with double beds,huge living room,one bathroom and toilet,kitchen with dish washer/dryer and modern fittings,washing machine,cable tv,wired internet connection,parking space available(included in the rent price).
If you are really interested i advise you arrange a reservation and viewing of the apartment at your earliest convenient time but i could came to London only in the weekend.
The rent is 175 per week(bills and parking included) and the refundable security deposit is 700GBP and the flat is near the tube station,few min walks.
If you want i will send you more pictures of the flat and the lease to make your decision.
My question is how many persons will stay in the apartment,you will stay alone or you will have a flatmate?
I will wait f or your reply,

The story about the aunt seemed totally implausible, and the fact that she referred to multiple 'huge bedrooms' when the listing is for a 1 bed flat set the alarm bells ringing.

Hope this helps someone else avoid Agata, a.k.a. Gabriella!


Split post - CW

Further email from Gabriella Sivert (a.k.a. Agata Bjorn):

Subject: Re: £175 / 70ft² - 1 bedroom flat (Picadilly)
From: [email protected]

Hello,

Good to read again from you and for expressing your genuine interest in renting my flat.
Flat is fully furnished and as i said bills and parking spot are included and price is 700 per month for the whole flat not per person.
The location of the flat is 18 Regent Street, Piccadilly( LONDON ).
We could arrange a view of the flat only in the weekend because i work in the week days.
I could buy a fly ticket for the first sunday and i will be in London to meet you first sunday.
Before i came to London to meet you i wanna to be sure you are a fair person because 2 weeks ago a person from Liverpool told me he is really interested and he asked me to meet him in London to sign the rent contract and when i went there nobody showed up to rent my place and i lost time and money for nothing,everything was a stupid joke and i do not want that to happen again.
So,before i came i want to be sure you have the money and you will be in London .
Also,note that i do not required any money in advance,money will be paid after we sign the contract.
If you will rent the flat i require 1 month in advance (a refundable deposit of 700GBP) which will be received back at the end of the lease period.
I have attached you the photos and the lease.

Thanks and Best Regards,

The response above is virtually identical to the wording 'Agata Bjorn' used in another scam. Interestingly, 18 Regent Street turns out to be an Itsu restaurant, rather than a residential apartment!

The photographs used by Gabriella are below:


This turns out to be a picture from a Home Design company's website!





Be careful out there!