Rental Scammer - [email protected]

From: John Basil <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, September 8, 2014 12:57 PM
To: Michelle Banks
Subject: Re: $680 Gorgeous one bedroom studio (berkeley)

Hello,

Thanks for your email. I am John Basil, the owner of the Apartment you are in renting. Actually I resided in the apartment with my family for some months and we moved away due to my transfer from my working place, my apartment is still available for rent for $680 per month including the utilities like hydro,washer and security,it is furnished. Right now I'm in West Africa for a crusade and i would like you to get in touch with my wife in the United states for more discussion as she is with the keys and the documents to the apartment. Please I want you to note that,i am a kind and honest man and also I spent a lot on my property,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this apartment and I want you to treat it as your own. I want you to keep it tidy all the time so that I will be glad to see it neat when I come for a check up,I do that once in a while.I want to have trust in you as I always stand by my words.Let us know how soon you are willing to move in. Email my wife Mary,on ([email protected]) and she will attend to you better.

ADDRESS TO THE APARTMENT : 2601 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704

Thanks for your interest.
John Basil

This person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union, MoneyGram, pre-paid credit card 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.

This is true!! I messaged him, dragged the images he sent me about the apartment into a google image search and the pictures are from other listings! Definitely a scam!