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by rosievk Sun Nov 07, 2010 9:33 pm
hi there,
i've rented an apartment in amsterdam via craigslist. my friend and i will spend a few days at the end of december 2010 there.
it never occurred to me that this could be a scam and i just want to check in case anybody came across this ad: EUR150 / 2br - Charming 2 story luxury apartment in centre, facing Vondelpark. WIFI. (amsterdam).

i've been in touch with the apartment owner, a woman by the name of Laura Baker. the emails seem that of an honest person. she sent me a rental agreement and i paid, via pay pal, a deposit of 690 euro.

however, today, i got the following email:

How are you doing today,I am Sorry this mail come as an urgent mail.
Thank you for the time and patience.Balance would be due on 8th/11/2010 according to the Paris tentative rule in accordance to section 63 code 54 of the Law.If you do not Understand Dis.Kindly Provide your Phone Number so that i can ask one of Our representative to explain to you on phone.
Thank you ,
Best Regards,
Laura Baker

if any of this looks suspicious, please advice me!
thank you.
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by Dotti Sun Nov 07, 2010 9:38 pm
It is most definitely suspicious, and Laura Baker is a name that has been used many times in scams.

Could you please post the earlier emails you received?

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by rosievk Sun Nov 07, 2010 10:12 pm
what do you think i should do?
here's the email containing the rental agreement.

Thanks for your interest in our lovely apartment,Attached to this mail is our Rental Agreement and reservation form,which you will have to sign and return back to me as soon as possible.Also in the form is Our PayPal Email which you will have to make payment to now.

Once payment is sent to us please notify us and send us the Payment invoice for easy confirmation.

Once your Payment is confirm a receipt of payment will be sent to you which you will have to print out and come along with to the apartment on your arrival.

I will be Expecting your mail soon of the notifications and the a Sign Copy of the rental form.

Thanks
Laura
by rosievk Sun Nov 07, 2010 10:21 pm
here's the rental agreement:


BOOKING RENTAL AGREEMENT & INFORMATION FORM
PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN WITH PAYMENT INFORMATION
Keizersgracht 96 1016 GB Amsterdam The Netherlands
OWNER: LAURA BAKER


RENTER NAME: _____________________________________________________________

RENTER ADDRESS: (Include City, State, Zip)______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

RENTER HOME PHONE; BUSINESS PHONE; FAX NUMBER; E-MAIL ADDRESS:
_____________ RESERVED DATES: IN: ______OUT:_______

NUMBER OF ADULTS________; CHILDREN________; PETS_______________

1. AGREEMENT: the Owner and Renter agree as Follows: Above Renter is an adult and will be in occupant of the unit during the entire reserved period. Other occupants will be family members, friends or responsible adults. Use of the premises will be denied to persons not falling within the foregoing categories, and as a result they would have to vacate the property immediately without any refund. No keys will be issued to anyone who is not an adult.

2. PETS: We allow pets under the following condition.. Guest with pets must check out one hour earlier so the cleaning staff has ample time to sanitize the home. You MUST clean up after your pet. That includes properly disposing of all waste material. If any waste material is found on the property, a portion of your pet deposit will not be refunded. You must also maintain control of your pet at all times, and NEVER leave a dog unattended. If you are leaving for the day and don't want to take the dog with you, you must put it in a local kennel or find alternative solutions to leaving the dog alone at our property. (If you are renting our property on a month to month basis, it is acceptable to leave your pet at the home while you are away). You must clean the home to the same level it was when you arrived; meaning pet hairs should not be visible. Any complaints from neighbors regarding excessive noise or other nuisances may be cause for immediate termination of the lease and forfeiture of the Renter's entire security deposit.

3. SECURITY DEPOSIT: The advance payment is EUR 400 for a vacation rental. This includes Pet Deposits if applicable. Your EUR 400 security fee is fully refundable at the time of your departure provided that real and personal property are in the same condition as when occupancy commenced and all terms of this agreement are met. Renter is liable for all replacements and repairs that are outside what is considered normal wear and tear.

4b. PAYMENT SCHEDULE:



Payment Schedule   :


Rental Fee (Nov 12 - 21 ) EUR : 750
Damage Deposit : 400
Total : 1,150
60% : 690

You are to make payment of EUR 690

Payment should be made through Secure PayPal Transfer.

OUR PAYPAL DETAILS TO MAKE PAYMENT TO

PAYPAL EMAIL : [email protected]

5. CANCELLATION: Should you wish to cancel this reservation, notice of cancellation MUST BE IN WRITING AND RECEIVED MORE THAN 30 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR CHECK IN DATE. We will refund the sums you have paid, less a EUR 70 cancellation fee.
6. CHECK IN: Check in time is 9:00 am. EARLY CHECK IN TIMES ARE ALLOWED ONLY WHEN THE PROPERTY IS CLEANED AND READY FOR OCCUPANCY AND PRIOR APPROVAL IS REQUIRED. Keys will be ready for pick up at property location. Or we can send down the keys to you. Hope it will be in safe hands.
7. CHECK OUT: Check out time is 11:00 AM, except for guest with pets, it is 4:00 PM. THERE IS ANEXTRA CHARGE FOR LATE CHECK OUT AND PRIOR APPROVAL IS NEEDED. Please leave all keys and remote controls at the location. A EUR 50 hour fee will be charged for each hour (or portion thereof) past the required check out time. A EUR 50 per item fee will be charged for each lost key.
8. CLEANING: Each property will be inspected, sanitized and cleaned after your departure. The rental fee you have paid will provide for four hours of normal cleaning so that you can enjoy your vacation up to the last moment. YOU ARE REQUIRED to leave the property in the same general condition that you received it by making sure, dishes are done and put away, and the home is generally picked up and ready to be vacuumed, dusted and sanitized.
9. WHAT WE SUPPLY: The property is equipped and set up as a fully furnished property that will include bedspreads, linens, blankets, pillows, towels, as well as a fully equipped kitchen, TVs, furnishings, BBQ grill, and outdoor furniture. An packing space.
10. WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING: Personal toiletries.
11. RENTERS LIABILITY: Renter agrees to accept liability for any damages caused to the property (other than normal wear and tear) by Renter or Renters guests, including, but not limited to, landscaping, misuse of appliances, and/or equipment furnished. If damages are in excess of the security deposit being held, Renter agrees to reimburse: for costs incurred to repair/replace damaged items.
12. SLEEPING CAPACITY/DISTURBANCES: Renters and all other occupants will be required to vacate the premises and forfeit the rental fee and security deposit for any of the following: A. Occupancy exceeding the sleeping capacity stated on the reservation confirmation. B. Using the premises for any illegal activity including, but not limited to, the possession, serving or consumption of alcoholic beverages by or to persons less than 21 years of age. C. Causing damage to the premises rented or to any of the neighboring properties. D. Any other Acts which interferes with neighbors' right to quiet enjoyment of their property.
13. HOLD HARMLESS: does not assume any liability for loss, damage or injury to
Persons or their personal property. Accept liability for any loss or damage caused by Weather conditions, natural disasters, acts of God, or other reasons beyond its control.
REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE RENTING A PRIVATE HOME, PLEASE TREAT IT WITH THE SAME RESPECT YOU WOULD LIKE SHOWN TO YOUR OWN HOME.
Renter SIGNATURE: …………………………. DATE: ………………………

Owners Signature…..---
by Dotti Sun Nov 07, 2010 10:48 pm
I am most interested in the early emails. Right now, I am leaning very heavily toward scam.

There are definite problems with the rental agreement. For example, in one place it says that people with pets must check out an hour earlier, then in another place it says that checkout is 11:00, 4:00 with pets!
There are also problems with the original email you posted. For example, the apartment is supposed to be in Amsterdam--what the heck is a Paris tentative rule?

Need to post photos? http://scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3219
Are you a victim of a romance scam? Read here for advice and FAQ's.
by rosievk Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:08 pm
hi dotti
thank you for getting back to me. i feel so dumb!
here's the first email laura baker sent me after i inquired about the apartment:
Thank you very Much for you interest In our apartment,The Date Stated is unbooked and available in our Rental and Booking calendar.

The Apartment is a 2 bedroom apartment furnished and Lovely upgraded apartment by Interior Designer,modern bedroom with QS bed, fully equipped American kitchen, state-of-the-art bathroom,computer and Internet Wifi, washer/dryer, ultra-equipped, washer and dryer, traditional oven and microwave.

Nightly rates are EUR 150 and There is a Damage Deposit which is EUR 400. The Damage Deposit will be returned at the end of your visit, provided that nothing in the Apartment requires repairs as a direct result of your visit.

Please note that your reservation is not fully confirmed until your Reservation Deposit has been received.

Kindly get back to me if still interested.

Thanks
Laura Baker
by rosievk Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:11 pm
here's one describing payment arrangement:

Thanks for getting back to me,There is no other charges apart from the once i have mentioned earlier.Below is the payment Summary:

Rental Fee EUR : 750
Damage Deposit : 400
Total : 1,150
60% : 690

Our PayPal Email will be sent to you once you are ready to make the payment for the reservation,During this Period a Rental Agreement and reservation form will be sent to you which you will have to print and send back to me after Signing it.

Kindly get back to me once you are ready to make payment so that i can provide you with all Paper work and other informations.

Thanks
Laura
by Michael Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:04 am
[..] here's the first email laura baker sent me after i inquired about the apartment:[..]

Can you tell me where you found her ad/site and if possible, link me to it? From what I see I agree with Dotti - it sounds suspicious. I've dealt with quite alot of fake apartment sites, and the mails you write sound vaguely familiar.

Account inactive - messages are not being monitored
by David Jansen Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:47 am
Welcome here rosievk.

One thing is for sure, this appartment is definatly NOT facing the Vondelpark! In fact, it's far away from the Vondelpark. It is however close to the museums, but that are all addresses in centre Amsterdam! In case she will call you, you can ask some questions. First you can ask her if it's possible to park a car at the appartment. I know that without a parking license, it's impossible to park a car in the Keizersgracht. (i live in the Netherlands). You can also ask her if it's close to the Transferium. If she says yes, then she's lying.
From what i've seen sofar, i'd say this is a scam.

Being a victim doesn't mean you stand alone. We're here to help you.
by rosievk Mon Nov 08, 2010 12:14 pm
thank you, david.
the woman emailed again today saying that they attempted to reach me by phone but only got my voicemail. it's true that the phone rang this morning and the caller i.d. read "private". i couldn't answer at the time. i asked that she give me her number and i would call her back. so far, nothing.
i'm tempted to tell her that i must cancel the trip due to work and that i want a refund (the rental agreement says that all but 70 euro would be refunded if cancelled 30 days or more in advance).
by the way, if i need to start over, do you have a reputable/reasonable person or company from whom i can rent an apartment in amsterdam?
thank you!
by rosievk Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:06 pm
UPDATE
just want to confirm that the following listing is a fake:
http://amsterdam.en.craigslist.org/vac/1987651321.html
as soon as paypal put a claim on my behalf, a Laura Baker emailed me saying she was "innocent", that she didn't know who i was, that i needed to talk to "Brayant" (never heard about him). when asked who was this guy she said he pretended to be her on yahoo messenger, etc.
i asked her for her phone number and she claims not to have one.
anyway, i may not get my money back (although i will contact my bank tomorrow) but at least i may prevent others from being ripped off.
thank you for your help.
by Grimes Tue May 31, 2011 6:14 am
I got the same reply e-mail, for a Paris apartment, from a "Mathew Webb <[email protected]>".

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