Rental Scammer - [email protected]

"Silvano Zetticci" <[email protected]> wrote:

Thanks for your kind interest ,

My name is Silvano Zetticci, the owner of the apartment .I bought this apartment for my daughters during their studies in US, but now they come back home in Italy permanently, so I'm renting the place, even for long and short period.
The apartment has 1 Bedroom ,1 Bathroom (cold/hot water, electricity, wireless broadband Internet, digital TV, 1 parking spots for 2 cars, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave, refrigerator, washing machine) .The neighborhood is very well served with public transportation,park playground, shops,supermarkets ,you can easily get things needed.
The rent is $1,400 per month, security deposit is $900 and you get it back at the end of contract or when you decide to leave the apartment.
Before we go any further I would like to know a little something about you, like how many persons you intend to live in the apartment, and for how long.

Thank you

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.

Thank you for posting this. I got this same email this morning when inquiring about a rental in San Francisco. Here's the ad I was responding to.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/apa/4243936412.html

Details from fake realtor.com invoice:

Invoice ID #KMM12907183I15977L0HG - Pending

Congratulations on your tenancy approval. Realtor.com enables any business or consumer with an email address to securely and cost-effectively send and receive payments online in real-time! The Tenant checks the property before authorizing the payment, and allows the Landlord to use a safe way of accepting payment by money orders!

About Company

Realtor.com reduces risks associated with Internet transactions by acting as a licensed neutral third party for online transactions. The package will remain in our custody until the prospective tenant will send the payment through a Money Order Service. After verifying the funds, Realtor.com is ready to deliver the parcel to the designated address.

You are receiving this e-mail because you are involved in a rental process, your landlord requested to use Realtor.com. Realtor.com offers a set of services that build protection into every step of the rental process. The Realtor.com Service is your safety net in the rare occasion that something goes wrong.

The Realtor.com process relies on email as a way to keep the prospective tenant and landlord informed at all steps of the process. Please ensure you check your email at least once a day if you are involved in a rental process.
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1. Prospective Tenant and landlord agree to use Realtor.com. Landlord starts the process.
2. The prospective Tenant pays Realtor.com a security deposit. Realtor.com holds this money until the keys and contract are received by the prospective Tenant.
3. We deliver the keys and signed contract using an approved courier and we will also provide a tracking number so you can track the package.
4. The prospective Tenant receives, signs for the package and inspects the property in question.
5. Realtor.com pay the landlord - rental process completed.
*****************************************************************
Invoice ID: #KMM12907183I15977L0HG
Transaction Date: December 16, 2013
Payment Deadline: December 18, 2013

Full Name
Silvano Zetticci
Address
V. Mignosi 26
City
Rome
Postal Code
00138
Country
Italy


*****************************************************************
Service:
Handled by:
Realtor.com - Online

DHL Express Shipping
Guaranteed delivery:
24 hours after Payment Confirmation
Description of Goods:
Apartment and Interphone/Digiphone Keys, Viewing Permit,
Additional Services:
None
Inspection:
Guaranteed by Realtors International

Delivery:
$ 0.00
* *Note: Delivery expenses are covered by the home owner.
*****************************************************************
Service Information: Tracking Number: Pending

Package Information:
Property keys and rental contract verified by Realtor and signed by Silvano Zetticci, Owner of property in question, located at this address:

2 Bedrooms ,1 Bathroom , 2369 24th Ave San Francisco, CA 94116 , United States

Declared Monthly Rent Value: $ 2.250,00
Security Deposit To Pay: $ 1.250,00
Total Amount: $ 3.500,00 - Representing Rent + Security Deposit
Delivery Costs: $ 0.00
*****************************************************************


Payment Information and Instructions
How to make the payment to our agent?
Locate the nearest Western Union office click here.

You can pay with cash at any Western Union Office and have payment sent to the Realtor.com Agent. That frees the seller to confidently send you the keys and documents - saving you days of waiting

It's Easy:
Visit any one of Western Union nearly 45,000 Agent locations and fill out the appropriate Western Union form to send your payment in cash.
Your payment is typically sent within minutes .

It's Convenient:
There are nearly 45,000 Western Union Agent locations nationwide. Many are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Several IDs and utility bills are required before the funds are paid. Therefore, no one else only the agent Realtor.com can pick up the money. Your payments cannot be lost in the mail, like money orders or check.

Make the payment using money transfer to our Realtor.com Agent name listed below and send the total amount of $1.250,00

Full name
Christopher Rivera
Address
Viale delle Province, 63
City
Rome
Postal Code
00162
Country
Italy

Please send us a copy of the Western Union receipt by fax +1 (310)-775-9759 and e-mail at : [email protected]