by strudelduck
Fri Nov 21, 2014 3:34 am
Hello! This is my first time posting here. I just joined because of this scam I almost fell for. I emailed this person about an apartment in Boston listed on Craigslist. His first email to me was as follows:
I didn't want to rent an apartment sight unseen, so I asked if there was a way for us to have my cousin check out the apartment on our behalf (since we're also not in the Boston area, but my cousin is), and this was his response:
When he told me that we would have to do a bank wire or deposit for our payments and that he could potentially mail the keys to my cousin (I assume he meant after we sent him a payment), I became more suspicious and I started looking online for scams that matched this description. This website had a few scams where fake landlords said that they couldn't show you the property because they were out of town for some reason or another, and this made me more suspicious.
I asked him for some sort of proof or ownership/address, like a cable or electric bill. I figured if he actually owned/rented the place he would have to have to still be paying the bills and have them forwarded to his WI address. He told me that he did not have any bills, because they were all in the house, but he sent me a photocopy of his ID (which I am assuming is fake or stolen & am in the process of reporting to IC3):
I told him I could not proceed until I saw proof of address, and he sent me this photo of a Massachusetts Land Record, saying he couldn't get his bills:
All land records are available to the public, so I looked it up at this website, and it turns out he took a screencap of the actual most recent land record and photoshopped it to put his name on it.
So anyways, this guy was obviously a fraud. I'm not sure if it would be appropriate to put up a picture of the actual land record, but if other people think I should I will do so. I'm also not sure if there's a specific format to these posts or specific information I need for this. Please let me know if there's anything I'm missing or anything I need to include or exclude, and I hope this information is helpful.
Hello Applicant,
This is to acknowledge the receipt of your inquiry email to my posting on craigslist regarding my house for rent and I do apologize for the slow in response to your inquiry about my ad.Recently moved to WI to stay close to my family beacause of Cancer.
I will like to lease my unit out till Next year before i can put it on sale because the market is not too good now. Do drive down and take a look at the unit from outside and the environment it's a lovely/secured neighborhood to live in
No one is living in this unit currently and it has a parking.
Pets allowed.
And month to month can be consider.
( ADDRESS:87 Revere St UNIT 1, Boston, MA 02114)
It's a Huge 2 beds, 2.5 baths, electricity, water,Cable,internet and garage are included in the monthly rent.The rent is $1800 per month plus a Refundable damage deposit of $1800 will be paid alongside with the first month’s rent before moving in. I do love to know more about you before we proceed. Attached are the most recent pictures i took some weeks back before i left for Boston. If interested with the neighborhood do write back
Regards,
Alan Rogers Hombs.
I didn't want to rent an apartment sight unseen, so I asked if there was a way for us to have my cousin check out the apartment on our behalf (since we're also not in the Boston area, but my cousin is), and this was his response:
How are you doing today and thanks for you compliments on my apartment.
Right now am not in Boston and there is no way your Cousin can meet me, am sick here. The apartment is fully furnished just like it is in the pictures nothing is missing accept my clothes that i bought here with me.
As for the keys i can mail it to you or your cousin if he/she have a physical address i can mail it to it will also include the lease agreement copies.. There should be no problem doing that.
I will send you my identifications and other things you need to make you know am legit about this i understand there are too many bad people out there now...
I will also prefer a bank wire or deposit for all payments because i was trying to lease to someone from New York last week they mailed me a check that turned out fake.
Kindly let me know how you want to go about this asap!
Regards,
Alan.
When he told me that we would have to do a bank wire or deposit for our payments and that he could potentially mail the keys to my cousin (I assume he meant after we sent him a payment), I became more suspicious and I started looking online for scams that matched this description. This website had a few scams where fake landlords said that they couldn't show you the property because they were out of town for some reason or another, and this made me more suspicious.
I asked him for some sort of proof or ownership/address, like a cable or electric bill. I figured if he actually owned/rented the place he would have to have to still be paying the bills and have them forwarded to his WI address. He told me that he did not have any bills, because they were all in the house, but he sent me a photocopy of his ID (which I am assuming is fake or stolen & am in the process of reporting to IC3):
I told him I could not proceed until I saw proof of address, and he sent me this photo of a Massachusetts Land Record, saying he couldn't get his bills:
All land records are available to the public, so I looked it up at this website, and it turns out he took a screencap of the actual most recent land record and photoshopped it to put his name on it.
So anyways, this guy was obviously a fraud. I'm not sure if it would be appropriate to put up a picture of the actual land record, but if other people think I should I will do so. I'm also not sure if there's a specific format to these posts or specific information I need for this. Please let me know if there's anything I'm missing or anything I need to include or exclude, and I hope this information is helpful.
