Room for Rent Scammer - Claire Bill

Also uses [email protected]

From: Claire Bill <[email protected]>
To: Michelle
Sent: Wed, January 20, 2010
Subject: I'm Interested !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi
My name is Claire Bill 28 year old Female /div, with
no kids , a graduate of Harvard University in
massachusetts And i work as a professional fashion designer. I'm
currently in Uk on a business trip. I am a cool,nice
peson who is totally committed to human development, friendly, very trust worthy and value People being around me alot.I love travelling,sporting and enjoy making friends.
I dont smoke but do not mind people smoking around me. I am cool headed and easy going person with no bad record and like to have a roommate or roomie who is
very responsible and understanding, someone i can really getalong with.I saw your advert and i am sincerely interested in the room advertised so i would like to move in as soon as i arrive in the state. I have chosen your city for me to live when i arrive. I am easy to get along with and well mannered. I do not use people's items without permission and consideration..... Kindly get back to me ASAP with the your monthly rent and the deposit i need to pay to enable you turn down other interested parties and keep the place for me until i arrive,because i will like to pay for the deposit before my arrival and i will like to know the total amount the rent for a whole year would be,as i am more interested in a long term lease,but still open to any form of lease you want. But i will like to pay the deposit first of all before i arrive to show my seriousness and so that you can hold the place for me until i arrive.I am single as i said and i am not attached to anyone at the moment.can't wait to arrive to the states.Pls do get back to me with the room description.I await your reply.
Best Regards,

I just got the exact same email! I googled Claire Bill and found your post. What do I do now?

Hello Tamica and welcome to Scamwarners.com

I am going to guess that you have advertised a room for rental - this will be a fake check scam.

He has no interest in your room , and nobody will be calling. He will have wanted to send you a (counterfeit) cheque or money order. If you have given him your address details there is a possibly of you receiving one.

If you receive a counterfeit item,the way I see it you will have three main options:-
1) Take the cheque and any packaging to your local police and explain the circumstances.
2) When the check arrives, mark it as fraudulent and save it as a souvenir of a near miss,
3) Rip it up and bin it.

If you don't go for the first option I'd go for the second option ..... it makes a good talking point when you have friends around.

Then write to him and tell him that you tried to bank the cheque and the bank told you that it was fake. You might want to add that you were arrested and spent two nights in the cells for attempted fraud ! You can also contact the bank that the check is written on and notify them that the account is compromised and being used by a scammer.