Rental Scammer - [email protected]

From: [email protected]
To: Michelle Banks
Subject: RE: Request for your Offer at Starflats.co.uk
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2013 09:02:40 +0000

Hello,
How are you doing? I just received a mail about your inquiry in our flat. Thanks for the interest you have in the flat. It is still available for rent. As you can see in the advert placement, the flat is well spacious and fully furnished in and out with internet facility, electronic gadgets, kitchen utensils etc. There is also a garage and an off street parking in the flat. It is situated in a good and clean environment. Here are the necessary information you need to know about the RENT and DEPOSIT.

Rent include all Utility bills such as ( water, gas, council tax, TV license and wireless Internet)
Monthly Rent : £300 PCM.
Security Deposit: £500.00 ( this is always returned back to you after a week stay in the flat)

I need a clean and neat person to stay in our flat because the flat was just recently built and well furnished so i don't want it rough.
Can you keep the flat clean and tidy?

Are you staying alone?

Do you have any reference in Cambridge? I will also like to know where you are coming from to stay in the flat. Kindly reply me immediately for further information before we can proceed for the viewing or make a reservation for you if you are seriously interested.

Best Regards
Dr. (Mrs) Betty Cooker
Landlady

From: [email protected]
To: Michelle Banks
Subject: RE: Request for your Offer at Starflats.co.uk
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2013 12:10:13 +0000

Hello Michelle
I got your mail and thanks for getting back to me. I am glad to know that you are a nice person. I believe you can keep the place clean and tidy in terms of maintenance. I wish to give my flat to a responsible person like you. I am willing to have you in my flat as long as you want after the viewing. I have always traveled to take some interested persons round my flat because i don't stay close to my property. Some intending tenants do not have the money to pay for the rent and yet they disturb the landlord to arrange a viewing and also, some outside tenants do not have the money to pay for the rent and yet they disturb the landlord to arrange a viewing with their friend or relative who lives close by, some do not meet up with the appointments for viewing which has also cost me and my lawyer a lot in terms of traveling there and not meeting the intending tenant's there as agreed. I am getting old so i can not be traveling for every viewing without confirming that the intending tenant is serious and am having some health challenges too.

Henceforth, we (I and my lawyer) have decided to carry out a simple test on the seriousness and financial ability to pay for the rent before coming for the viewing. I am not asking you to pay any money before the viewing as it is wrong to do so but you will be required to transfer just the SECURITY DEPOSIT which is only £500 to someone close to you through any of the quick money transfer option ranging from Money Gram or Western Union here in United Kingdom using your name as the Sender and your trusted close friend, partner or family member's name as the Receiver in the UK premises. I am not saying you should transfer it to me as it is WRONG for me to ask any money from you when you are yet to view the flat. I have my own work and i earn enough money for my family and also to help the less privileged.
We have to meet in person and sign the contract agreement before i can collect any money for rent or security deposit. Once you have made the transfer, you are to send the details on the receipt as i will forward it to my lawyer to verify if it's truly genuine and available for your receiver to pick up. After verification, i will inform you to tell your receiver to go and pick up the transfer and send back to you. You can transfer only the security deposit as that can be used to verify your financial ability because i am a very considerate woman. Some other landlords require at least one month rent and security deposit but I understand some person's financial situation so all i ask is for you to transfer only the SECURITY DEPOSIT to somebody close to you.

PLEASE NOTE: You will have to let me know how much the transfer charges cost you because I will refund the transfer charges back to you as soon as we meet in person for the viewing so you have nothing to lose and also be informed that the information you are to send for my solicitor's verification can also be used as a REFERENCE for you.
I will like you to know that if you can get the transfer done as soon as possible, then we can proceed with the viewing latest around 5:00pm the same day or at your own convenient time. Will that be okay by you? Kindly reply me immediately to know if you are seriously interested because some other persons are also applying for the same flat. You know the flat is a new apartment and in a good environment, many people love to stay in such a place. I do hope to hear from you shortly.

Best Regards
Dr. (Mrs) Betty Cooker
Land Lady

From: [email protected]
To: Michelle Banks
Subject: RE: Request for your Offer at Starflats.co.uk
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:03:14 +0000

Hello, How are you doing? I got your mail. I had to think of it before concluding that i will keep the flat till then hoping that you make the transfer as you said to your parents name. Mind you, the transfer is not to their account but through the western union. It is more convenient and better for my lawyer to verify through this transfer. However, there are different types of transfer. Here are some guidelines on how to go about it. I do hope it will help.

There are 4 types of service from the western union.
-In a Minutes
-2 Day/Next Day
-Mobile Transfer Money
-Direct to Bank
You are to use in a minute transfer for easy confirmation and to also avoid delay or repeat of transfer. Locate the Western union outlet around you and pick up the form of transfer and fill in the details which needs to be filled and return back to the post master with the money you are transferring to your friend without much interrogation and wait for your receipt. Once you receive the receipt, you are to forward the following information for confirmation and verification by my lawyer.

Sender's name:
Receiver's name:
Amount transferred to your friend/relative:
Money control number in the slip:
Cost of transfer:
After it has been confirmed on the website by my lawyer, then we can proceed for the viewing and you can as well tell your friend or partner to pick up the money.
Inform me of the cost of transfer because i will be refunding it back to you as soon as we meet in person for the viewing. I hope to hear from you shortly.

Best Regards
Dr. (Mrs) Betty Cooker
Land Lady

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.