Western Union, Scams, Flat Rentals through Gumtree.com

No updates?! Has Trident found a flat?!!

2008-09-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

.... No.

As i have just mentioned in a reply to a comment, i will be posting up many new scam emails i have received over the week this weekend but unfortunatly since i'm working 12 hours a day with 2 hours travelling, i don't get much time to get on here and get some posted! So i promise that this weekend i will open up by ScamBox (just a folder on my email which i throw all the scams into) and i will present them in my usual breakdown form!

Good night for now - enjoy your friday!!

And don't be fooled.

Trident

Same story but this time - different email! Scam No.3

2008-08-31T14:09:00.001-07:00

What's the chances? same story/email as ScamNo.2 ... just different names and emails!

Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to hearing from you.I am John Coleman,the owner of the Apartment you are making inquiry of.Actually I resided in the apartment with my family,presently we moved away due to my transfer from my working place,my apartment is Located in 25 Craven Hill Gardens Bayswater London, and presently my apartment is still available for rent for 600 GBP per month including the utilities like hydro,washer and security,it is furnished.More so Now, I went for a Crusade in the West Africa and i will like you to get in touch with my wife in the states for more discussion as She is with the keys and the documents to the Apartment.Pls i want you to note that,i am a kind and honest man and also i spent a lot on my property that i want to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this apartment and want you to treat it as your own,is that taken,I want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up.I do that once in a while.I want have trust in you as i always stand by my words.Where are you located? let us know how soon you are willing to move in.Email my wife Mary, on (mcaptrent@gmail.com )and she will attend to you better.

Thanks for your interest.
John Coleman

Just having a quick browse now and it seems.....

2008-08-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

.... Like the people doing the scams think they're clever!

Now instead of using the link in my previous blog, they are also using:

http://newrooms.info
http://share-rooms.com

And most probably some other domains which would confuse the person looking!

Clever... Very.... Clever.......... not

'Too good to be true'

2008-08-30T16:03:00.001-07:00

And before i go for the night this is probably the best advice for people using gumtree:

If it's too good to be true - it WILL be too good to be true. No ifs, no buts - unless you have the keys in your hand with a rock solid contract signed then don't think twice.

Trident over and out untill next time!

Take care and keep your wits about you - don't be played.

http://roomsstore.info/

2008-08-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

This to me seems like the big hit on Gumtree at the moment!

They are advertising many many flats with such nice descriptions, no pictures and are all going at £130/week. Doesnt seem much when it's broken down but when you look at it:

£130 / week (Also using the elusive '£132' '£135' etc to try to keep people guessing!)
£520 / month

They will then want (i can guarantee) a months rent as deposit which will be another £520 totalling:
£1,040 which they will then ask to be transfered through Western Union or MoneyGram and come up with some story as to why you can't view the flat before purchase!

Just another hot tip while i'm having a browse on rentals now!

Added: I'm actually just going to give up for tonight, each and every page and ad i click on are all coming up with (80% of the time) http://roomsstore.info/ with the same old description just changed a bit and a few added 'requirements' to make it seem genuine along with no pictures, different contact method or anything - i have reported a few but, i think i should consider making an email directly to GumTree even though they should already be aware of such an outbreak!

'Flat Rental' Scams through Western Union. Scam No.2

2008-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hey all - again!

This is my next post with Scam No.2!

Scam No.2: "Accomodative One Bedroom Apartment For Rent "
Location: Bayswater
Seller: 'Donald Houston, Mary Hill, Wife Jane, Eric Murphy'

In this scam, i email this person saying i am interested in the flat and would like to know more information, pictures etc. This is where Mr.Donald Houtson replies to me with:

Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to hearing from you.

I am Donald Houston,the owner of the Apartment you are making inquiry of.Actually I resided in the apartment with my family,presently we moved away due to my transfer from my working place,my apartment is Located in 19 Gloucester Road SW7 4PL South Kensington London, and presently my apartment is still available for rent for 400 GBP per month including the utilities like hydro,washer and security,it is furnished.More so Now, I went for a Crusade in the West Africa and i will like you to get in touch with my wife in the states for more discussion as She is with the keys and the documents to the Apartment.Pls i want you to note that,i am a kind and honest man and also i spent a lot on my property that i want to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this apartment and want you to treat it as your own,is that taken,I want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up.I do that once in a while.I want have trust in you as i always stand by my words.Where are you located? let us know how soon you are willing to move in.Email my wife Jane, on (myhomerentals@gmail.com )and she will attend to you better.

Thanks for your interest.
Donald Houston

I then emailed that address to have a reply - not from an expected 'Wife Jane' but from another person... Mary Hill and this is what she had to say.

Thanks for the email.
My husband owns the Apartment, also want you to know that it was due to my husband's transfer that made us to leave the apartment and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take good care of the apartment, we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean all the time .So for now,I am in Greensville NJ in the United States in our new home and also I am with the keys and documents of the apartment,we tried to look for an agent that we can give this documents before we left but could not see and we don't want the apartment to be used any how in our absence that is why we took the keys and documents along with us here and as you know that,my husband over in the West Africa for a mission of God,so i hope you will promise us to take very good care of the apartment.So get back to me on how you could take care of our apartment or perhaps experience you have in renting a home.Hope you are okay with the price per month with hydro,heat laundry facilities,air condition, internet connection and so on.
View pictures in the attached files.I am looking forward to hearing from you ASAP so that i can forward you an application to fill out and discuss on how to get the apartment for rent.
Hope to read from you soon
Mary

So i had a look at the pictures, again, very impressive and told 'Mary' i liked the look of it and would be interested in a viewing, to which she replied with:

I am after the good care of my apartment, I am willing to rent the apartment to you for as long as you want. I want you to know I will only send you the keys and documents once the first month rent payment has been confirmed.You will not be able to see inside the apartment.We are willing to rent the apartment for as long as you want. We are willing to rent for as long as you are willing to stay. The rent includes all tax & bills included. I had an accident which affected my hearing and my legs , I am currently on a wheel chair right now, I do not use a phone that's why I am always online, you can reach my husband on +23********.if you are interested, you can fill out the rent application below and get back to me as soon as possible.

******************* RENT APPLICATION *******************
Also,Pls answer these questions below:

1)Your Full Name______________________________________
2)Present Address(where you reside now) & Phone# ____________________
3)How old are you _____________________________
4)Are you married ___________________________________
5)How many people will be living in the apartment ____________________
6)Do you have a pet _________________________________________
7)Do you have a car __________________________________________
8)Occupation _________________________________________________
9)What is your religion ____________________________________________
10)How long are you willing to stay __________________________________
11)1 month deposit needed ______________________________

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt in your name and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the documents and the keys to you,please we are giving you all this based on trust and again i want you to stick to your words,We are putting everything into Gods hand,so please do not let us down in this property of ours and God bless you more as you do this.
Regards

So i filled out the 'Application Form' and emailed her back with it HOWEVER i decided to have a little question against her '11) 1 month deposit needed', instead of agreeing with this i filled in:

11)1 month deposit needed: This is fine HOWEVER i'm quite unsettled about this paying for something without seeing or receiving any goods, i'm not calling this a scam however i would just like to ask this:
Is it possible, to pay you the first months rent - Once i then receive the keys and documents and have got into the flat - will i then be able to send you the deposit? Is this ok?

'Mary' replied with:

Try to call my husband now on +23***********.
Thanks

So i phoned Mr.Husband and asked him, he said ideally, over a crackled overseas phone line, that he would like the full payment and he assures me he will send me the documents and keys via DHL within 2 days of receiving payment.

So, 10 minutes after the conversation and i'm having a think, 'Mary' emails me with:

hi have you tried talking with him and what did he say?

Well, surely she should know as he said he would ring her right after our phone conversation, so i explained and said she needs to send me payment information, she replied within 2 minutes with:

My husband and I are so excited.
You will be sending the payment to me through western union and here is information where you will need to send payment through western union below.His secretary will help him in receiving the money at the Bank.
Receiver's name: Eric Murphy
Receiver's Address: 33 Allan street.
City: Victoria Garden
City State: Lagos
Country: Nigeria
Zip code: 23401
Test Question: Code ?
Test Answer: Mary

As soon as you send the payment from the Western Union Money Transfer,you would be given some informations. You would have to get back to me with following information:

1. Full Sender's Name And Address Including Zip Code:
2. MTCN Confirmation #:
3. Amount Sent:

As soon as i confirm the payment, I will send the necessary document and keys of the apartment to you through DHL and get back to you with the Tracking number and the arrival time of the document and the keys, because the package will be delivered to you the Two days after payment have been confirmed.I also want you to know that this isnt a scam please.Call him when you have this.
Thanks and God Bless you

Hold on - Eric Murphy has entered the situation now! Where is husband donald? Hmm. Nigeria? A country that so happens to be prime location for scams and con artists to withdraw money from through western union as you only need an ID which you can easily present them with a fake one. Where did Donald and why Jane disappear to? Who is Mary Hill... and why am i paying someone called Eric Murphy who has an address in Nigeria with a Zip Code which is located in Keller in the USA.

I emailed them back, saying this is a complete scam and i will be informing Gumtree and high superiors of the act and i got this as a reply:

Hi,
If you think this is a scam can you send the money to me in Canada.Is this okay by you?

Canada? but... previously you told me you live in Greensville NJ in the United States - why would i want to send money to canada? - that is the end of the scam, i have no further reply and the ad is still on gumtree, i have reported it and i expect it should be removed soon.

I shall keep you posted on any further problems i come across! I think i may just leave the private letting and go and find a nice secure agency.

'Flat Rental' Scams through Western Union. Scam No.1

2008-08-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

This is my first in-depth blog into the world of scamming which is currently at large on the website 'gumtree.com'.

I'm currently looking into moving into London to make my life a little more easier and decided to start looking for a flat and came across 2 Ideals locations at a cost which i found quite cheap so decided to investigate and these are what i will be talking about today.

Scam No.1: "This beautiful and spacious, one bedroomed flat"
Location: Clapham Junction
Seller: 'SallyAlvert'

Ok, so to begin with i emailed this person asking for more information on the flat in question, Approximatly 30 minutes later i received this letter:

Hello,
sorry for late reply I so much appreciate the fact that you have interest in my flat..

ABOUT ME:I am a professional, a stockbroker presently in birmingham for seminar on UK stock exchange. I would love to rent out my flat to a neat, friendly person, even when i feel meeting Him/Her and also the rooms can be occupied by single or couples.However, my Flat is very comfortable fully furnished.

LOCATION:The Flat is situated on the corner of Illminster Road, just moments from the bars, boutiques and specialist shops of Northcote Road. The green open spaces of Clapham Common are also within easy reach.Ilminster Gardens, Clapham Junction, SW11

TRANSPORTATION:The nearest stations are Clapham Junction (National Rail) and Clapham Common Underground Station (Northern Line), while the nearby A3036 and A3 provide the motorist with fast and easy access to routes in and out of London.

FACILITIES:The property comprises a reception room, fantastic eat-in kitchen, master bedroom with fitted wardrobes and contemporary bathroom.The whole Flat will be rented out for £520pcm utilities, security and bills all inclusive and 1month payment for the security deposit.Viewing will never be a problem as I can come around if we both agree on a perfect date and time to meet. But, what i am requesting for is the assurance that you can pay me (Only if you like the flat after the viewing). The reason why i'm requesting for this is just because I've seen many time wasters which they wasted my time very much and I don't like time wasters. For now, I need your suggestion.

In this email she explains that she is sorry she is late at replying (a full 30 minutes!) and already starts to talk about how you will need to 'make a suggestion' to ensure her that you have the money you say you do to pay for the flat. The flat itself is £520 a month including a first month as deposit totalling a nice sum of £1,040.

So i email her back requesting some images and a little more information. She replied with:

Hi,
Thanks for your email,The flat is available for short and long term rent
Please find the attached file
Regards

I took a look at the pictures and though they looked nice, so i then asked about a viewing and i'm interested to which i got a reply already including payment information before breaking it inslowly!

Hi,
Please, i need you to take your time and go through my email carefully,You need not to pay for flat not yet viewed...But what i meant was that i have been disturbed alot by prospective tenants by waisting time coming over all the way from birmingham little did i know that they don't have the money for flat but they love the flat.
So i have been advised that if i ever see anyone interested in the flat, they should take a step further in confusing me that they have the money for the flat before i come over.So if interested, you will proceed to western union and transfer money to your relative(not me), you will email me with the following to proof to me that the transaction has taken place and the money is available for pick up

SENDER'S NAME ..................
RECIEVER'S NAME...............
REFERENCE NUMBER........
AMOUNT SENT......................

then i will confirm from western union if the transaction has been taken place and the money is available for pick up that proove that you have the cash for the rent.Once i am able to confirm, i will email you back almost immediately then i will be coming over to london same day.
When we meet in person, we shall all go back to western union and collect the money and you will pay me if you like the flat but if not, you will go with your money.
You will be charged minimal fee for transfering and i promise to pay the money back to you once we meet in person.I will get the contract ready for you to sign if you like to take the Flat after viewing and the keys will be handed over to you immediately after contract. Receipt of payment will be issued to you after which you have sign the lease agreement form..I hope i've explained, i am not in any way telling you to pay me before viewing.
Regards

At this stage, i then emailed her saying i was uncomfortable with western union and i will be looking further into them before moving forward, she replied with:

Hi,
Thanks for your email,
Alright, i understand you no problem about that i will wait for you until you make the transfer.
To transfer money from western union or moneygram is very easy okay, just locate a western union office collect the form and fill it, make a transfer to your friend or relative within the U.K, your name will be as the senders name and your friend name will be as the recievers name that proove that your money is within you,as soon as you have done get back to me with the requested information to confirm online that the transfer has been made and the money is available for pick up that proove that you have the cash for the rent and you realy serious about it.as soon as i confirm i will get back to you and we can arranged for viewing
You dont need any asistance than the way i have explain to you now

Let me just know when you have done with the transfer

Regards

At this point i then said ok to her and asked what would happen after i have done this, to which she replied:

Hi,
Alright,no problem let me just know when you have done with the transfer

Regards

After a conversation with my Bank and Western Union to confirm my thoughts on this... that it is indeed a scam /suspect deal i then emailed her back saying i believe this to be a suspicious transaction and after advice from my bank and Western Union, i will not be moving forward. I have had no reply.

I will also post about the next scam.

In both scams, both people are asking for £520/month which equals £1,040 when they ask for also a first months rent as deposit. Neither of them are able to meet you in person and give you a proper view, both are asking for you to pay for the flat before viewing and receiving keys and they are also making you feel trust when they tell you "I'm putting trust in you to not mess the flat up, i would like to think your an honest person" etc when really - it's them you should be talking to about trust, £1,040 of trust to be exact.