by Con Warner
Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:24 am
From: Travis S. Whitfield <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Jun 3, 2013 at 2:10 PM
Subject: Re: - $950 / 1br - 810ft² - *** Upper West Side location *** (Upper West Side)
To: Con Warner
Hi,
The apartment is available and it's located at 156 W 86th Street, New York, NY 10024,
with one bedroom, one livingroom, one bath and one kitchen, square feet 810.
I really want to find a good and responsible tenant for it and i was hoping if
you can send me some personal informations about yourself. The monthly rent of
$950 will include all utilities such as water, electricity, internet, cable, parking etc.
The only problem is that i had to move with my job to San Angelo, TX (i'm an
Air Force MSgt - Goodfellow Air Force Base) where i am now.
I wish to conclude the transaction through Realtor.com. If you want to know more about how this deal can work please get back to me ASAP and i will send you the details step by step.
Thank you and hope to hear back from you.
Regards,
Travis
This person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union or MoneyGram to an escrow company with a promise that he will send the keys through a courier company.
Sounds safe. It's not!
The emails claiming to be from the company are fake.
At other times, he will ask for proof that you are able to pay the deposit and rent due to a string of time wasters.
This proof is in the form of a Western Union or MoneyGram payment to a lawyer,a friend or family member.
In either case, if payment is made and you give this person the details, they will collect the money.
You will not hear from them again.
All the details such as names, addresses, pictures etc. that the scammer uses in order to back up his story, are stolen from elsewhere.
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 Craigslist, Gumtree or similar listing sites. If you receive any requests from 'Landlords' asking for some kind of payment 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.