IS THIS A RENTAL SCAM (SINGAPORE)?

Hi,

I think I may be corresponding with a scammer via email. Please help/advise me.
I placed an ad in http://share-accommodation.sg/ looking for a room to rent and got this email:

Hello,

Response to your ad on the website http://www.share-accommodation.sg I just want to inform you that I have two vacant rooms available for rent right now in my 3 bedroom flat, currently I am occupying one of the rooms, so I'm looking for Neat, Decent and responsible Individual to fill the two vacant rooms. I attach the photo of the Flat for you to see.

I am Vika Johnson by name, I am a British, female, single and I am 27 years old, I'm based in Singapore.

Rent: $600 per month ($150 per week)
Deposit: $600 is refundable.
Rent includes: electricity, gas, cable, telephone and internet. etc.
Minimum stay: 2 weeks

Rooms:
Furnished, private bathroom,
Phone jack, linen provided,
Hardwood floor, TV, Air conditioning,
Carpet, Closet, Cable jack,
Private entrance, alarm system,
Washer / Dryer, Balcony / Patio
Internet, cable ready,
Dishwasher, Yard
Parking and
Off street parking available.

Hope to see you soon

Cheers
Vika

After replying to her email, she sent me another message:

Hello

I so much appreciate your reply and interest in my spare rooms, I am not in Singapore right now, I am in Cairo - Egypt for working Holiday to Visit the Pyramids, Tower of Giza, and Pharaoh's Museum, but I will be back in two weeks time okay.

The apartment is located at BURLINGTON SQUARE, 175B BENCOOLEN STREET District 07 Singapore. with en suite, bathroom and toilet

I deposited the flat Keys at the DHL Office in Singapore, I will send you the Reference Number that you will present at the DHL Office so as to get the spare keys or better still I will send the Keys directly to you via your present address. right now, I will like you to send me the following details so that I can use it to Prepare the Agreement and send to you.

Full Name:
Age:
Sex:
Occupation:
Move In Date:
Present Address:
Duration of stay (How many Months):

get back to me as soon as possible, You can ring me on this number +20110504718 or send me a text okay, I hope to read from you again soon.

Best Regards
Vika

I AM WORRIED THIS PERSON IS A SCAMMER BECAUSE I GOT THIS EMAIL ON THE SAME DAY AND ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME AS ANOTHER EMAIL COMING FROM A CONFIRMED SCAMMER (I confirmed the scammer via this website. Thank God! I posted on the topic: RENTAL SCAM IN SINGAPORE!! PLS WARN OTHER PPL).

I do hope this is not from a scammer, but again, when something seems too good to be true, it probably is

It's another scam, I'm afraid. The English isn't right for someone from the UK. It's typical of this type of scam, that "she" is away from home so unable to show you the flat and meet you.
Put yourself in "her" place. Would you try and part let your apartment while you were taking a two week holiday? And allow a total stranger to move in in your absence?

Hallo sam_26

Would you kindly post the scammer's e-mail address for me.

I have seen those words a hundred times before.

The scammer will have wanted you to send him money to have keys and documents to be couriered from abroad, or to send money to a family friend to show that you are financially sound and not a time waster. He would have asked you send money by wire transfer (normally Western Union).

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.

If you are still using listing sites to look for property, and If you receive any replies asking you to send money in advance of viewing - (This includes making a Western Union payment to yourself or a family friend, and paying for keys and documents to be couriered to you from abroad.) - would you please post them in The Rental Scam Forum, ensuring that the scammer's e-mail address is included (but not you own) This may help others if they are searching for the e-mail address of the 'Landlord'.

Thanks Arnold and Michelle. Appreciate it! As soon as I read through and analyzed the series of dubious emails especially the apparent "template" reply they sent me, I stopped corresponding with them. It became quite clear that this was a scam. I'm truly grateful that I came across scamwarners, and I was able to confirm my suspicions of their scam.

The rental scammers introduced themselves as Anais Elsa and Vika Johnson. Their email addresses are [email protected] , [email protected] , and [email protected] . They tapped me a few days after I placed an ad in Share-Accommodations.sg looking for a room to rent.

Michelle, yes I will make a post of these incidents. I want to help everyone against these rental scammers. I hope there is a way to stop these scammers to operate further and prey on innocent people. More power to scamwarners!

Thank you for posting those email addresses. Now hopefully other people who may be emailing this scammer will Google the scammer's address and be directed here.

I hope there is a way to stop these scammers to operate further and prey on innocent people.

You can bait! At http://www.419eater.com, scambaiters email scammers like this for the purpose of wasting their time and resources. At Eater, you can learn how to do it safely (keeping your real identity secret) and find lots of advice on how to keep scammers busy.

hi,Thanks you guys, you save me! I just receive the same email and my colleagues warn me it seem too nice to be truth, so i did google about her info, and... i found here! Thanks guys, i just poor part time student, can not imagine wat if i lost the 2 month rental.Attached email:

Hello

I got your details and I really appreciate your keen Interest In my spare room and you seems to be a wonderful person. Right now I will advice you to make payment for the first 1month and the Refundable security deposit (bond) so that I will be rest assure that you really want to rent the room and I will send you the Keys directly to you to your present address at xxxx singapore or better still I will send you the Reference number and the DHL Office Address so that you can go there and pick up the Keys and move in as soon as possible

I have forwarded your details to my Lawyer and the Agreement will be prepared and send to you. I will send you a scan copy of my passport for security purpose and I will like you to send yours too.

I will only reduce the payment to $400 to you okay, so I will be Looking forward to read from you again soon

Best Regards Mate's
Vika

--- On Sun, 9/12/10, Zenki Lye wrote:

From: Zenki Lye
Subject: Re: Available rooms
To: "Vika Johnson" <[email protected]>
Date: Sunday, September 12, 2010, 8:13 PM

Hi Vika,
Wow,kairo! Going there is 1 of my dream! Hmm,return to renting issue, do you mean u willing to rent me the room for $300? Correct me if I misunderstood.




Full Name: xxx
Age:xxx
Sex: xxx
Resident permit: xxx
IC:xxx
Occupation: xxx
Move In Date:20 sep 2010
Present Address:xxxx

Duration of stay: approximate 4months

--- On Sun, 9/12/10, Zenki Lye wrote:

From: Zenki Lye
Subject: RE: Available rooms
To: [email protected]
Date: Sunday, September 12, 2010, 10:42 AM

Hi Vika,

Thanks for your offer, rooms are nice, but the price is too high for me, a part time student,i only have $300 budget for my room. Good luck for your renting.




Regards,
Zenki Lye




Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2010 23:32:40 -0700
From: [email protected]
Subject: Available rooms
To:

Hello,

Response to your ad on the website http://www.share-accommodation.sg I just want to inform you that I have two vacant rooms available for rent right now in my 3 bedroom flat, currently I am occupying one of the rooms, so I'm looking for Neat, Decent and responsible Individual to fill the two vacant rooms. I attach the photo of the Flat for you to see.

I am Vika Johnson by name, I am a British, female, single and I am 27 years old, I'm based in Singapore.

Rent: $600 per month ($150 per week)
Deposit: $600 is refundable.
Rent includes: electricity, gas, cable, telephone and internet. etc.
Minimum stay: 2 weeks

Rooms:
Furnished, private bathroom,
Phone jack, linen provided,
Hardwood floor, TV, Air conditioning,
Carpet, Closet, Cable jack,
Private entrance, alarm system,
Washer / Dryer, Balcony / Patio
Internet, cable ready,
Dishwasher, Yard
Parking and
Off street parking available.

Hope to see you soon

Cheers
Vika


On Sep 13, 2010, at 7:28 AM, "Vika Johnson" <[email protected]> wrote:

Hello

I so much appreciate your reply and interest in my spare rooms, I am not in Singapore right now, I am in Cairo - Egypt for working Holiday to Visit the Pyramids, Tower of Giza, and Pharaoh's Museum, but I will be back in two weeks time okay.

The apartment is located at BURLINGTON SQUARE, 175B BENCOOLEN STREET District 07 Singapore. with en suite, bathroom and toilet

I deposited the flat Keys at the DHL Office in Singapore, I will send you the Reference Number that you will present at the DHL Office so as to get the spare keys or better still I will send the Keys directly to you via your present address. right now, I will like you to send me the following details so that I can use it to Prepare the Agreement and send to you.

Full Name:
Age:
Sex:
Occupation:
Move In Date:
Present Address:
Duration of stay (How many Months):

get back to me as soon as possible, You can ring me on this number +20110504718 or send me a text okay, I hope to read from you again soon.

Best Regards
Vika

--- On Sun, 9/12/10, Zenki Lye wrote:

From: Zenki Lye
Subject: RE: Available rooms
To: [email protected]
Date: Sunday, September 12, 2010, 10:42 AM

Hi Vika,

Thanks for your offer, rooms are nice, but the price is too high for me, a part time student,i only have $300 budget for my room. Good luck for your renting.




Regards,
Zenki Lye




Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2010 23:32:40 -0700
From: [email protected]
Subject: Available rooms
To:

Hello,

Response to your ad on the website http://www.share-accommodation.sg I just want to inform you that I have two vacant rooms available for rent right now in my 3 bedroom flat, currently I am occupying one of the rooms, so I'm looking for Neat, Decent and responsible Individual to fill the two vacant rooms. I attach the photo of the Flat for you to see.

I am Vika Johnson by name, I am a British, female, single and I am 27 years old, I'm based in Singapore.

Rent: $600 per month ($150 per week)
Deposit: $600 is refundable.
Rent includes: electricity, gas, cable, telephone and internet. etc.
Minimum stay: 2 weeks

Rooms:
Furnished, private bathroom,
Phone jack, linen provided,
Hardwood floor, TV, Air conditioning,
Carpet, Closet, Cable jack,
Private entrance, alarm system,
Washer / Dryer, Balcony / Patio
Internet, cable ready,
Dishwasher, Yard
Parking and
Off street parking available.

Hope to see you soon

Cheers
Vika

Welcome to Scamwarners, and I'm glad you weren't scammed.