by Dotti
Sat Aug 30, 2014 8:38 am
SCAMS.
ONLY scammers (typically African in this scenario) will ask you to do ANYTHING via Western Union.
In this particular (very common) approach they will ask you to send money to yourself, a friend, or a supposed escrow company. They will claim your money is safe. Not true. In reality, with the details you provide them, they will be able to pick up the money from WU themselves, which is exactly what they intend to do.
As for the photos of a drivers license? Stolen from a previous victim, who emailed the photo thinking he/she was proving identity for a legitimate rental.
Legitimate landlords that want to verify your financial resources/stability will (a) run a credit report (and they will run it--they won't ask you to run it) and/or (b) ask for proof of income via paystubs and/or bank statements (none of which should ever be emailed to an individual you have never met.)
Please post the emails these scammers sent you as well as their email addresses, to help other potential victims to avoid them.