is it a scam?

Hi everyone,

I've booked an apartment in London for the Olympics, and paid £350 to secure the booking.
I've just received a telephone call from my bank to make sure I really wanted to send this money because there was a fraud suspicion...

I have found the apartment through www.abritel.fr and then www.canadawaterluxflat.com

Payment was made through "Rental Systems" (index of 916). The name of the owner is Carlos Pareira and his mail address is [email protected]

Does anyone ever heard this was a scam?

Thank you for your help.

Thee Greg

First website looks genuine.
Second one, I can't connect to and there's nothing on Google that makes me think that it's legitimate. I would at least expect some customer reviews of the service that he offers but there's nothing except for a few dead links and the domain information.

As for the email address, there's only one hit on it and that's on a domain page. For a legitimate business I would expect a lot more hits and I wouldn't expect them to go through a yahoo address.
Do you have any emails from the yahoo address? If so, can you either post here or PM the full headers to me. Could you also send me details of the property?

Personally, I'd ask your bank to halt the payment until the people/company you're dealing with can be verified as authentic.

Hi ChrisSmith,

I would say it is about 99% likely that this is a scam. No respectable and reputable rental company - especially not one that operates internationally and across borders - would use a free Yahoo! address as primary contact. Put a stop to any money sent, and cease contact with this person. Nothing good will come off this. This type of property/rental scam has become all too commonplace these days.

If the bank are ringing the alarm bells, I would take that as warning enough.
They've probably got it flagged in connection with other dubious accounts.

Better safe than sorry.
Cancel the payment would be my advice.

Hi Scambuster419.

I've already pointed out that I don't think that it's legitimate and have already drawn notice to the free email addresses. I have also already suggested that the OP does not send any money.
The reason I have asked for more information is because we always like to present evidence to prove beyond doubt that it's a scam.
99% is nice. 100% is better.