craigslist rental scam- [email protected]

This is the email response I received back when requesting information on a rental property.\

" Thanks for your email concerning the AD I posted. The house is STILL AVAILABLE but presently I'm not around with my family, we are away to North Carolina now and I am renting this house to a responsible and honest person or family who has the fear of God that can treat my house as his or her own.... I would like you to know that I am giving this property out for rent because I have been posted to Charlotte! North Carolina,as A (CONSTRUCTION ENG ) and I will spend couple of years before I would be through with my assignment here and I need a very serious attention With my work now ,but you can email me or text me on this number (402) 519-4196 or you should drop a voice message and I will get back to you, please bear with me alright!. Even when I’m back from the assignment, me and my family had decided moving to our other home in CALIFORNIA,Kindly check some information about the house and complete the tenant application form below if you are still interested renting my home and please be honest with details to enable us choose the right tenant..Try and understand that its not money that matter to me but what really matter is to have the right person to occupy our house and that was the reason why we are not charging any fee on utilities and pets, alright! You can drove down to my house and check the house from the outside and you can see the interior part of the house because i have the keys to the entrance with me, alright!"

Added quotation. (BW)

This person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union, MoneyGram or bank transfer with a promise that you can have the keys to a property that does not belong to him.

Sounds safe. It's not!

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.