by Michelle
Wed Jun 02, 2010 3:52 am
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2010 15:01:04 -0700
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Reply to your ad: 1 BED ROOM FLAT FOR RENT AND FULLY FURNISHED
To: Michelle
Hello,I am Ken Johnson,the owner of the Flat you are making inquiry of.Actually I resided in the Flat with my family,presently we moved away due to my transfer from my working place,my Flat is Located in Grove Street,Edinburgh,EH3 8HF and presently my Flat is still available for rent for £350 GBP per month including the utilities like
Hydro ,Washer ,gas,internet, council tax and one secured parking Space,it is fully furnished.Now, I went for a Crusade in the West Africa and i will like you to get in touch with my wife in the United states for more details & pictures of our flat as She is with the keys and the documents to the Flat.Please, . Where are you located?
let us know how soon you are willing to move in as we are deciding very soon on who to take our flat. Email my wife Jennifer on ( [email protected] ) she will attend to you better.
Best Regards.
The thief will tell you that you can rent his accommodation only if you can prove that you have genuine interest. He will ask you send money by wire transfer (normally Western Union) to yourself or a member of the family to show that you have sufficient finances and that you are not a "time waster".
Another variation of this scam is that you need to send (by Western Union) money in order that the keys and other documents can be couriered to you
He will ask you to send him the transfer details.
Make no mistake ! Western Union Transfers can be picked up virtually anywhere in the world and with the minimum of identification. They are almost impossible to trace once the money has been collected. You will never get to see the accommodation or your money again.
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 Gumtree or similar listing sites. If you receive any requests from 'Landlords' asking for some kind of payment by Western Union 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.
