Apartment for rent in Miami - Is this a scam??

Hello Bruno,

Thanks for your interest in wanting to be my tenant.

I bought this apartment for my son during he's studies, but now he is back home in London UK permanently, so i am renting the place for unlimited time. Before we go any further i would like to know something about you, like how many persons you intend to live in the apartment, what is your job, how old are you and for how long you will stay.
The apartment is located at 332 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33131
It is furnished but if you need it unfurnished, i can order for the furniture be moved to storage. The rent is inclusive of the below listed utilities:
• High Speed Internet
• In-Suite Laundry
• Large in-suite storage
• Cable
Its a spacious and lovely 1-bedroom 1-bathroom and 1 storage furnished apartment, utilities are included and pets are allowed.
Kitchen completely equipped, Kettle – Toaster – Dishwasher – Freezer – Microwave – Oven – Dryer – Heat – Water – Washing Machine and Electric.
I want you to note that I am a kind and honest man and also I spent a lot on my property that I want to give you for rent, so I will solicit for your absolute maintenance of the apartment and I would want you to treat it as your own, I would like you to keep it tidy all the time I also want you to let me have trust in you as I always stand on my word, the rental fees is $650 per month, i require first and one month warranty.


I will wait your reply as soon as possible.

Best Regards,
Cox Ian Anthony

So then I replied and this is what he sent me:

Thank you for your reply,

First of all if you want to rent the apartment you need to pay 1 month of rent + 1 month of warranty ( $650 + $650 = $1300 ) ! ( but that month of warranty you will receive back after you finish the contract ) !

The price is cheap because i want to find a good person who take care of my apartment !

If we decide to proceed with this transaction, I will have to contact DHL and provide them all the necessary information, so they can start the process right away. I will need your full name and address for that. You will receive a notification from DHL shortly after that, together with all the instructions to follow and the invoice as well.

Regarding the payment, you will be instructed to deposit the money to a DHL custody. They will hold and insure your money until you check the apartment and decide if you want take it or not. That is how their buyer protection policy works. As far as my concerns, I will be glad to know that DHL has the possession of the money during the delivery period. That is my insurance. As soon as the funds have been deposited into their account, they will immediately start the shipping process.

The keys and rental contract will be delivered at your address in no more than 3 working days. You will be given a ten days inspection period from the day you receive the keys and contract at home. If you decide to hold the apartment, then you will have to authorize DHL to release the funds to me, and the transaction will be completed. If you will not be satisfied with the apartment, you will be able to send the keys and contract back through the same service and ask DHL to return the funds to you.

Through I am sure you will love the apartment, it is good to know that you do have this second option available.

If you wish to proceed with renting the apartment, please provide me your full name and address and phone number so I can initiate the deal through DHL right away.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.


Thank you
Cox Ian Anthony

I'm really confuse because the price is unusually low... Can anyone help me out?

100% scam. This script has been used hundreds of times before. The writing is also typical of an African scammer, as is his lack of knowledge of Anglo Saxon names.

There are actually many red flags, but one of the most basic is the whole setup. Real property owners do not travel halfway across the world with their keys and then turn around and ship them to some random stranger they have not met! For starters, any owner who cares even slightly about their property will have someone local who has access in case of emergencies (what happens if something like a pipe bursts, or a window gets broken? If nobody there has access, the property could be destroyed!)

In addition, real owners will either meet prospective tenants in person, or will arrange for a friend, neighbor, or agent to meet them face to face. A real owner wants to actually make sure that somebody has seen you, and made sure you are the person you claim to be. They also want to make sure there are no major red flags in your appearance!

DHL is not an escrow service. They do not act as a middle man between landlords and tenants, and they don't hold money for shipping.

Any money you sent would not go to DHL. It would go to a mule, and from there straight to the scammer.