Is this a scam ? again....

Hi everybody, i'm looking for a flatshare in London, and It looks like 2/3 of the announces are scam...

This the mail they sent me :

Hello,
Thanks for your interest in my lovely bedrooms flat. I have attached my available room photos of my flat below my message for you to read so that you can have a better idea of the Unit (Apartment).
I have a flat available as of today in London ideally located with BEDROOMS and BATHROOMS (one ensuite), a modern kitchen and a spacious living room. Personal Bathroom/toilet attached to each room. You will have your own private Bedroom and Bathroom/Toilet separately. But we would be only share KITCHEN reception and SITTING ROOM only. It's fully furnished, DG, GCH, bath/wc, 24 hrs Security and Porter Service available and entry phone.

ABOUT ME: I am Miss Annetta Lewis , 27 yrs old, female a half British/ half Italian girl, Straight and I am professional Hair Stylist. I am an industrious person. I don't interfere into other peoples private affairs. Am a very laid back person and also, I am open minded and free with everyone. I am looking for student, professional and couples with someone that is okay with my kind of person and most especially a trustworthy person, a clean and tidy and person that I could confide in as a friend and family and that could confide in me as well and I believed you would be the kind of person. I love listening to music, cooking, reading, visiting cities, going to theaters ... I also particularly enjoy meeting new people especially roommate, new nationalities; I have been living with Americans, Spanish, Canadian, French and Italians as my previous flat mates.

Location and Room Rent Details:
ADDRESS: Princes Street,London, W1B 2LR, England
AREA: Central London (Lambeth, Soho, Belgravia, Southwark, The City, Westminster and Marylebone).
Princes Street is moments from excellent amenities and close to 24hr shop and all amenities.The nearest underground tube station to my house is Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus station, just off Golden Square which is about 3 minutes walk to my flat. It is good area and walkways with lots of entertainment and places to eat and drink. My flat offers a high and superb location for shops, supermarkets services and transport.

Transport
1 mins walk to bus stop
3 mins walk. to Oxford Circus tube station
5 mins walk. to Piccadilly Circus station tube station
6 mins walk. to Covent Garden.

ROOM RENT: (£120 weekly - £480 monthly) council tax and utility bills included.
DEPOSIT: £500.00 Pounds is the payment of Security Deposit implies that you have a serious intention towards renting my flat and that would enable me to secure the flat room for you.The sum of £500.00 security deposit is fully refundable back to you without any charges. The details of Security Deposit will be sent to you in the Agreement form. If this is okay by you, get back to me with your Full names and the contact Address so that I can send the contract and flat terms to you by email.

Household Utilities and Amenities includes:
#Central Heating, #Underfloor Central Heating, #Alarm system, #Flat screen plasma TVs with cable broadcasting, #Hi-tech music players with surround sound, #Satellite.

#DVD/VCD players, #Video Game {Play station 3}, #Internet Access, #WiFi Wireless Internet Broadband, #Reading Desk, #Bedside Lamp, #Wardrobe, #In-room iron and board, #Goose down duvets and luxurious bedding, #State of the art fully fitted kitchen.

#Gas and Microwave, #Superb Kitchen with Washing Machine/Dryer/Dishwasher, #Cookware and tableware, #Constant hot water, #Parking Lot, #Storage and Gym.


Add & Join me for a window Live Chat on my MSN messenger service am online now... ( [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ) So that we can know each other.

I look forward to hearing back from you ASAP..
Your's FutureFlatmate,
Annetta.


The pictures show a very luxurious flat...

I answer that i wanted to know if I have to payed the deposit before to be in London and :


Hi Bastien,
Thanks for the email and your interested you have been showed in my flat. If you are really seriously interested in my flat please be quick to avoid disappointment, you could add me on MSN Window Live Messenger and meet me online for chatting now so that we can talk more better.

Your's futureflatmate,

Annetta.




Thanks in advance for your advices, I'm not good in english (I'm french) so I can't judged if this is a good english, I don't see the typo...


Thank you


Regards

Bastien

I added Annetta Lewis on Msn messenger, and after 5 minutes of discussion :

ou will become my flatmate
ANNETTA dit : (12:55:04)
yes
• Bastien dit : (12:55:07)
:d
• Bastien dit : (12:55:28)
The flat is situated on Bright Ln that's right ?
ANNETTA dit : (12:56:03)
yes
• Bastien dit : (12:56:07)
or princes street ?
ANNETTA dit : (12:57:12)
no bright Ln
ANNETTA dit : (12:57:17)
it's prince street
• Bastien dit : (12:57:55)
because when I look in google map, princes street and bright Ln are 10 km separated 
ANNETTA dit : (12:58:22)
it's prince street
ANNETTA dit : (12:58:39)
dont read the full details of my flat i sent to you?
• Bastien dit : (12:59:35)
I read it
• Bastien dit : (12:59:50)
but there are differences with the announce
• Bastien dit : (12:59:52)
but no problem !
ANNETTA dit : (13:00:40)
so do you interested in my flat room or Not?
• Bastien dit : (13:00:50)
Yes i'm interested
ANNETTA dit : (13:01:15)
cool
ANNETTA dit : (13:01:37)
so... hope you will need to show me the proof of the security deposit plus 1 month rent before we can meet
ANNETTA dit : (13:01:38)
?
• Bastien dit : (13:02:15)
Sorry, I don't send money before to see the flat
ANNETTA dit : (13:02:44)
listen..
ANNETTA dit : (13:02:56)
i didn't ask you to send money to me
ANNETTA dit : (13:03:13)
i only want to see the proof that you are capable to rent my flat room
• Bastien dit : (13:03:20)
ah yes, 
• Bastien dit : (13:03:32)
what type of document do you need ?
ANNETTA dit : (13:03:45)
do you know the reason why i ask for the proof?
• Bastien dit : (13:04:01)
because if I can't payed, it will be very hard for you 
• Bastien dit : (13:06:12)
so what type of document do you need ?
ANNETTA dit : (13:08:05)
do you know how to show me the proof?
• Bastien dit : (13:08:18)
now I don't know
• Bastien dit : (13:08:33)
How did the last flatmate ?
ANNETTA dit : (13:09:11)
i want you to secure the money between you and your girl friend by using western union money transfer
ANNETTA dit : (13:09:45)
you can send the money to your girl friend as receiver the money in London
• Bastien dit : (13:09:59)
really sorry, I would not use western union,
• Bastien dit : (13:10:08)
there are to many scam on internet, 
ANNETTA dit : (13:10:11)
why?
ANNETTA dit : (13:10:18)
how?
• Bastien dit : (13:10:57)
people who asked for secure the money by WU, or LOYDS TSB account, 
• Bastien dit : (13:11:04)
that's a simple security principle
• Bastien dit : (13:11:32)
I'm just a student, and this money is all I earned in one year (really to hard to have a job when you are student in the same time)
ANNETTA dit : (13:12:51)
okay
• Bastien dit : (13:13:03)
I will be working in Global Blue (in Brentford)
• Bastien dit : (13:13:10)
Be sure that I will payed you
ANNETTA dit : (13:13:16)
listen...
• Bastien dit : (13:13:20)
that's the only proof I can give you
ANNETTA dit : (13:13:22)
i dont need your money
ANNETTA dit : (13:13:26)
i only want to see the proof
• Bastien dit : (13:13:52)
I have to see with my parents, they help me for the payment, 
• Bastien dit : (13:14:09)
Can I contact you later in the journey ?
ANNETTA dit : (13:14:22)
listen...
ANNETTA dit : (13:14:55)
can you tell your parent to transfer the money to yourname by using western union money transfer and get back to me with the receipt



Please, I really need help, i think that it seems to be a scam, but I'm not sure...


Bastien

Yes, Bastien - it is a scam!

can you tell your parent to transfer the money to yourname by using western union money transfer and get back to me with the receipt

Once money has been paid to Western Union & the control number sent, that money can be collected ANYWHERE in the world by the person quoting the number!

As crispy duck said, the scammer is able to pick up the money everywhere he wants. Don't ever send money through western union in general and give the payment details to someone else. This is a common trick that scammers use to steal your money.

People are getting to understand the dangers and risks of making payments to strangers by Western Union, so scammers try to make you agree to making payment by suggesting that a payment to yourself is secure and safe but, as my colleagues have already mentioned, it isn't if you give the details to someone else.

Only a scammer would make that suggestion.

In your chat dialogue he (I'm sure it is a he) also gives himself away in how he speaks.

Thank you, for information, I found this on easyroommate.com.

Thanks for all

Bastien

Hi everybody,
I also went in touch with that person through EasyRoomMate and talked to her (he?) on MSN. After your messages I became very wary and asked her to show me another picture of her, to see if it was a fake. She did show me another picture.
And we I talked about my suspicions about her being a scammer she denied, saying again that she only wanted a proof. She wanted me to use MoneyGram. Does that really allow her to pickup the money ?
Thank you by advance.
Max

Hello Mysteriouusfea, and welcome to ScamWarners.

Yes, MoneyGram is very similar to Western Union and, in some countries and regions, any MoneyGram transfer can be collected by anyone who has the MoneyGram reference number. Therefore, even if you have made the payment to yourself or to somebody you know, a scammer can collect that money instead.

Scammers often have lots of photographs to show you. Sometimes they are photographs which they have downloaded from the internet to use in their scams. Othertimes, they may even show you photographs of themselves, or of their friend, or family member. Providing a photograph does not mean that the person is genuine.

If a UK person is unable to supply their bank account details I wouldn't bother wasting your time.

Perhaps they don't trust you, so why should you then trust them with your cash ?

If they gave you bank account details it wouldn't prove you're not dealing with a scammer, but making 'advance pament' by MoneyGram or Western Union to a complete stranger is the definition of a 419 scam.

Thank you Chris.
Now I am sure that it's a scammer : he made incredible English mistakes, and when I asked him about it he did'nt answer. When I asked why it was so cheap neither did he answer. At the end he became very vulgar and obscene.
I also looked up on 192.com and didn't find anyone of "her" name at the address she told me.
Merci à toi Bastien pour m'avoir mis la puce à l'oreille, j'aurais pu me faire avoir !
Thanks to everyone. Bye !

PS : he said he wasn't on EasyRoomMate, while it's the only website I am registered on, so I don't know how he came to have my email address. He said he was on Flatshare, so I will try to register in order to flag his page as a scam.

As you are aware now, this is a classic "Room For Rent" scam but carried out via chat instead of email.

Mysteriouusfea, si tu es français, je te le français en français, cela sera plus simple pour moi, je te conseille de te rendre directement sur Londres (ou la ville de ton choix) de prendre un auberge pendant deux ou trois jours et de chercher sur place.
Je suis arrivé ce matin à Londres à 8h30, j'ai couru à droite à gauche dans diverses agences, j'ai appelé plein de numéro que j'avais noté, je visite une colloc demain, et je devrais emmenagé mardi !

English version :

Mysteriouusfea if you are French, it will be easier for me to speak in french. My adivce, is to go in London (or the city of your choice) and to go in a Youth hostel in order to search a flat when you are in town.
I'm in London since 8.00 morning, I called a lot of agency / announces, and I will visit a flat monday, maybe movin tuesday !

Bon courage

Cheers

Bastien

An alternative to the YMCA is a university in London, many of whom advertise that they have rooms free during the summer when students are on holiday.

The University of London advertise rooms for thirty to forty pounds a night for 'bed and breakfast' and they are centrally located. It could be an alternative to using the YMCA.