Potential Room Rental Scam Marlene Ray

I posted an ad to rent out one of my rooms on Craigslist - I'm suspicious for a number of reasons: I had already posted pics with my Craigslist ad, I commented about being a nurse also and there's no response - very unlike a fellow nurse, poor grammar, lack of real personalization, using emotion to try to hook me in, inability to communicate via telephone, etc. Lots of "Red Flags"

email address is: [email protected]

header: Received: [personal info deleted] from [email protected] by imo-ma01.mx.aol.com
(mail_out_v42.9.) id z.c5c.6bd8d14b (37553) for
<[email protected]>; Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:03:22 -0500 (EST)
Received: from magic-m19.mail.aol.com (magic-m19.mail.aol.com
[172.21.136.208]) by cia-mb03.mx.aol.com (v127.7) with ESMTP id
MAILCIAMB032-92b14b7767fa304; Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:03:22 -0500
From: <[email protected]>
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:03:22 -0500
Subject: Roomate
To: <[email protected]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
boundary="part1_12c01.31be135.38a8c1fa_boundary"
X-Mailer: AOL 9.0 VR sub 164
X-AOL-ORIG-IP: 41.219.251.136
X-AOL-IP: 172.21.136.208
X-Spam-Flag: NO
X-AOL-SENDER: [email protected]
Return-Path: [email protected]
X-MS-Exchange-Organization-PRD: aol.com
X-MS-Exchange-Organization-SenderIdResult: Pass
Received-SPF: Pass (washington.referralrealty.local: domain of
[email protected] designates 64.12.206.42 as permitted sender)
receiver=washington.referralrealty.local; client-ip=64.12.206.42;
helo=imr-ma04.mx.aol.com;
X-MS-Exchange-Organization-SCL: 4
X-MS-Exchange-Organization-PCL: 2
X-MS-Exchange-Organization-Antispam-Report:
DV:3.3.8414.660;SV:3.3.8613.1267;SID:SenderIDStatus Pass;OrigIP:64.12.206.42
X-EsetId: 7C404D277C7E29352706


Here's communication with "Marlene Ray"

HI

I am interested in taking up the room you have available for rent,,i am an occupational nurse.Respectful and easy to get along with 28yrs old,I don't have any pet,but i am pet friendly,don't keep late nights and am straight female with no drama,pls do get back to me if you are looking to rent it out asap.let me know all that i need to know about the place .I pay bills on time too.Do get back to me if the room is still available.

Thanks and God bless and
marlene ray

I responded with request for availability to review room and references.

"Marlene Ray" response:

Good day ,

Thanks so much for replying my email,I really do appreciate it,. I would have loved us to see before making any plan but i really have a lot of things to do right now,But will be okay if you can tell me more about the place and yourself. More about me again i am a nurse,28 year old female who works full time as an occupational Nurse...I am the neat type,I like honest,responsible,trustworthy and hardworking people while I dislike lazy,messy,uncaring people and I love pets so much,am quiet and easy going person to live with. I'm 5"7' straight. i like tourism and i don't keep late nights neither will i have overnight guest around, but i am okay if you do. I strive for a drama free environment. If you want to hangout and go to a coffee shop, bar, shopping,or just feel like doing something spontaneous, then I am game!, I'm pet friendly but don't own one,I don't keep late nights,I was born in Canada and my mum was from Idaho where I am presently,before my high school i lost my mum and my dad 4 years ago and since then i ave been under the care of my uncle,my mum was a nurse too and that made me to be an Occupational Health Nurse,An occupational health nurse (OHN) is responsible for the health and well
being of employees in the work place,so no problem about job..

Ambition and Work:

I was looking to move over to your state, because i understand that I'll be doing good over there as i have been told by my uncle's friend who ones live over there..And i will be working with any hospital around as i am also making enquires on that now... Am sure You 'll really like the person that i am ,because i will also do the dishing if you like,I work when i am to and relax when i am to,I also like sharing my thoughts also....paying rent on time will not be a problem as i will also be making the rent fee before the month ends....
Right now. I have the support of my uncle about my well being,so you shouldn't be bothered about if i am competent of paying the rent.
I must confess am comfortable with the price and I will want to secure the place down before my arrival so i will want you to tell me all about the place,as i can't see it before my arrival but I'll be
comfortable with pictures or a good description will do as i don't have much preference...I also will want you to know that i have my car that i will be coming over with,and little of my furniture,please let me know if there will be room for them.. With all that i have said above,I have told you more about me and a picture of mine will be attach in the next email,Let me also know how i can go about securing the place down before my arrival as i will also be busy from next week preparing to come over and let me know if you can take off the ad off the site as i am going to secure the place with a deposit .
Feel free to ask me any question and as I Ave said,I am looking to move in ASAP,So please email me back if you are looking to rent out ASAP too,pl's do email me back so I know more about the place and
pictures of the place too if you have got... .I really need a roof ASAP,so please email me back as soon as you can,and,A picture of mine will be attach in the next email,let me know if we can proceed,as I am
looking to leave here(Idaho ASAP),to see my uncle in Canada before I move over to your place,as he is really sick now...

Thanks for your time and i await your next email.

PS i would have love to call you but am having problem with the communication cable over here....
marlene ray

Quotes added for clarity - Michelle

Absolute scam. I'm glad to see that you caught both of these.

This particular format has been going around for year. Check out this posting from 2008:
[url]
http://parishousingscamwatch.wordpress. ... ndscammer/[/url] In particular, note this about halfway down the page:

More about me again i am a nurse,26 years old..I am the neat type,I like honest,responsible,trustworthy and hardworking people while I dislike lazy,messy,uncaring people and I love pets so much,am quiet and easy going person to live with. I’m 5?7? straight. i like tourising and,i don’t keep late nights neither will i have overnight guest around, but i am okay if you do,I was born and bread in france as there was where i had my university education and stays with my uncle there!!I speaks French and English, so you have the chance to learn french

Once again, the language clearly indicates an African wrote that email. "She" can't call because chances are "she" is an African male with a strong accent, and if you hear it, he will likely lose the scam.

Thanks Dottie for your response! I'll keep posting the scammers emails as long as they keep trying so others don't get drawn in.