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November 29, 2009
Is this a scam?? I just don’t feel right about this…?
11 comments |
Category: Freelance Writing Scams
I am subletting a school apt via craiglist.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/sub/119091…
I am glad someone wants to rent it the next day, but everything seems to going too perfertly, it worries me a little, expecially she wants me to cash her check first. Maybe I am over concerned, but just in case, following are the emails she sent me.
Her:
Hey,Hope things are cool with you there?am interested in your place that was advertised on craigslist,please write me back to know if is still available take care.
Me: Yes, it is still available, you can contact me at 678-XXXXXXX(she never contact me via phone)
Her:
Hello there,
How are you doing?Thanks so much for your prompt response …..This is a little about me,am into Humanitarian Services and i am also a freelance in fashion design,single and love my work.I want to subletting the place from you…I am very happy to know that the place is still available and am really glad to have details about the place its what am looking for….For the payment that is not a problem at all because my boss will be highly responsible for all the expenses of the payment all i have to do is to confirm the amount of the space including the utilities and then get it sent to him including the information’s in which the payment will be issued to..,So all i require of you is for you to send me your..
FULL NAME———-
FULL ADDRESS———–
PHONE———————–
So that i can forward it to my boss because my boss will be paying you in advance because of my flight ,So you get back to my travel agent who is in United state with the rest of the money via western union…in order to get my ticket booked so that i can be in state asap…I am an easy going lady and surely u will enjoy my stay in the u.s.a…i really want to promise u that we ll surely have the best of time because i will take good care of your place…..Here is just more about me…
Name: (Her name)
Eyes: Brown
Age: 27yrs old
Height: 5′ 6″ (167cm)
Weight: 122 pounds (55.0 kg)
Body: Average
Activity Level: Active
Smoking: No
Drinking: Socially
Marital Status: Single
Children: I have no kids
Zodiac Sign: Pisses
Languages I speak: English
Religion: Christian
Grew up in: Britain
Education: MCSA/MCSE
Occupation:Humanitarian service.
My favorite cuisines: Barbecue, Chinese/Dim Sum, Deli, Eastern-European, Fast Food/Pizza, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese/Sushi, Mexican, Seafood, Soul Food, Thai, Vietnamese
My favorite music: Dance/Electronica, Disco, Easy Listening, Pop/Top 40, Rap/Hip Hop, Soul/R&B and Soundtracks
Best Regards
(I don’t know why she gave me all these info)
Me: Wow, thank you for your detailed response, here are the informations that you requested:
Full name: X
Full address:X
Phone: X
For how long are you going to sublet the place?
(I gave her the above info)
Her: Hello There,
Thank you so much for the reply and i want to rent this place from you…..the check will get to you this week via fedex or ups and all you need to do is to have the check cash,remove your money for first month and the deposit prior to my moving in and you will have the balance send to my travel agent at Western Union location so that he can have my flight ticket booked for me to come to the state and i will want you to have everything taking care of so that my travel agent can make things set for me before my arrival day to the state….. i will get back to you later with my flight details as soon as everything is been taking care of by my travel agent so that you will know my movement…. Thank you for the reply and i will keep you updated ,have a wonderful time.
Regards
Is something wrong???
Should I at least ask her for a copy of her ID?
Image taken on 2008-09-06 20:56:50 by christopherharte. Image Source. (Used with permission)
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Love her zodiac sign. Pisses. That’s priceless.
Wow, you people are gonna geta nuff of these damn CRAIGS LIST scams.
Please google the rip off report, and decise for yourself….
FIERCE_09
I would pass on this one!
Yes, it is a scam. By the time you find out her check is bogus, your money will already be in her hands via her “travel agent”. There is no need for you to be involved in her travel plans.
Find another tenant.
Yes. this is a scam. One good clue is that she will send the check via fedex or ups. thus avoiding prosecution for mail fraud as she would be if she mailed it. Never ever return part of the check to someone as the check will turn out to be fraudulent. I have read of scams like this several times.
It’s a scam. Anytime that someone asks you to send money back after you cash their check, it’s a scam. When I rented out a room to a foreign student, I just had her send the required amount, no more, no less, via a straight bank transfer. I posted an ad in Craigslist too but I protected myself. I opened a new bank account just for the transfer.
just by how she types, i wouldnt believe she was British… it doesn’t seem right. i would be very wary, and try to contact her by phone, and speak to her in person
Shes sending you money for the rental and extra money for you to deposit in her account at western union? if so I would say the check is no good and your going to get stuck with a bad check and the fees to go with it.
Always go with your gut. But …yes, ask her for copy of her ID (not that that would prove anything really.) But if you Cash that check, make SURE it clears before you take further steps. It does seem ODD that she wants you to take “your money” out and then send rest to “agent” (and that is fairly easy to check on) I’d tell her to send you what she owes you for deposit, 1st, and to take care of her “agent” herself and the reason could easily be that you don’t want to be responsible for any possible lost monies.
Good luck, but remember to listen to that “little voice”
IT’S A SCAM!!!!!! Any time someone wants you to cash a check and wire money, it’s a scam! What happens is you deposit the check into your bank and then wire part of the money to the other party. Then the bank refuses the check and the money is already wired, so you’re out the cash. Why would you have to wire money to a travel agent for someone who is subletting an apartment from you? It doesn’t make sense.
This is a fake cheque scam – a typical short con that is unfortunately very common on Craigslist
The idea behind it that you are ‘prepped’ by the scammer (who is more than likely a man btw which is probably why you haven’t been called) into expecting a cheque for a greater value than your rental agreement.
You will than be asked to bank the cheque and send the overpayment to ‘her’ travel agent via Western Union in order to arrange the flight.
Western Union is used by scammers as being electronic it is fast and paperless and once the transfer is collected, the scammer can disappear.
Western Union transfers can be collected anywhere in the world once the money control transfer number (MCTN) and recipient are known.
Scammers can also have ‘Westy names’ i.e.specific ID’s for collecting transfers. (The name of the ‘travel agent’ will be this particular scammers ‘westy ID’).
In the meantime the cheque bounces and you may well end up with a bad credit rating and having to placate an annoyed bank manager.You may even get a visit from those friendly chaps in the FBI.
All that info was sent as most of a scammers response is through pre-scripted emails – they simply copy and send. Someone somewhere thought that all that information was relevant so composed an email full of it. Believe me, I’ve seen worse :)
You have given the scammer your home address, so you *may* get a fake cheque turn up.
If you do and are nervous about it, take it and all the relevant emails to the FBI and have them deal with it. They’ve seen this sort of thing before, but there’s little they can do as most scams are carried out beyond the FBI jurisdiction.
If you are not nervous, do what I have done with all mine and stick in it a picture frame – it’ll make for a conversation piece :)
If your scammer does start to pester you by phone, place it by a radio and walk away, he’ll soon stop.
Occasionally, with these cheque scams, scammers will send the odd threatening email
e.g.
You’ve got my money, send me the air fare or I’ll get the FBI on you.
You can ignore any such email threats – they are the criminal here not you.
Besides, he is probably working out of an Internet cafe in Nigeria so is hardly in a position to call in the FBI.
Hope this helps
Luck with renting your room