Room for rent scammer - [email protected]

Hello ,
My name is Fredericks Dewild and I received your email of interest for the rental of my apartment.
I am a research engineer for a pharmaceutical company and I bought the apartment while working on a 4 year contract in UK as an alternative to renting. I am the only owner of the apartment, the apartment is paid in full and with no legal problems. The apartment is not inhabited since I am no longer living in UK. You could be my second tenants.
My intention is to rent the apartment to nice, clean people and in order to do that I would like to know a little something about you, like how many persons do you intend to live in my apartment, do you have a steady income,etc. I must tell you from the beginning that I don't have a problem if you are a student and I don't have a problem with pets (I own a little dog myself) and I appreciate sincerity .
Also here is a little something about the apartment and myself so we can get to know each other.
The apartment is the one in the pictures but the furniture has been moved into my private storage room. If you don't have furniture I can take it back with no extra costs for you.
The rent for 1 month is 400 GBP (for the entire apartment) including all utilities (water, electricity, Internet, cable, parking, air conditioning, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave, refrigerator, private washing machine). The first payment will be for 2 months (800£). You can rent the flat for any period of time (open end contract).
About myself, I am 44 years old and as I told you I am a research engineer for pharmaceutical products , currently living in Spain/Madrid, my home town.
You can move in the apt in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m already in Madrid but I hope that we shall find a solution.
Thank you for your interest and looking forward to a future collaboration and friendship.
Best regards,
Fredericks Dewild"

His follow up email generally looks like this:

Hi,
Thank you very much for your fast reply and for the informations. The first two months are one month rent and one month deposit. The price is for the whole flat and includ all bills and council taxe. Don`t worry about the furniture. Bedfort St. is the address. I work in a hospital in Spain and is very hard for me to come in UK. I can't take the risk to leave my new job for days and when I arrive in Leeds to see that I come for nothing. So i can be sure of that look how we can do:
You must wire the money from your name and address to a friend of you that you know there in UK using the service Western Union for 2 months rent that means 800 GBP and send me the scanned receipt. When you will wire the money you need to pay some fees, but this fees you will deduct them from the total amount of the 2 months of rent. As soon as I see the scanned receipt that you have made the payment, I will come in Leeds and you will see the flat and maybe rent it. After that, we will go together at the Western Union office and you will take the money back and pay me. So all you have to do is to find a Western Union office and wire 800 GBP from your name to your friend name in UK and send the scanned receipt. I am asking you this to be sure that I do not come in Leeds for nothing. Hope you can understand my situations.
P.S : As I told you,I have a lot of customers interested to rent the apartment. I will reserve the apartment to the first one that provides me the scanned paper from Western Union. As soon as I have the confirmation from Western Union that the money are available on his name I stop the transactions with all the other customers.

Thanks and i wait your email back !

This person asks 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 payment to a friend or family member.

Sounds safe. It's not!

At other times, this person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union and they will send the keys through a courier company.

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.

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.