Room for Rent Scammer - [email protected]

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<Moved from 'Personal Accounts of Scams'> - Michelle

Hi, I joined just to post this email address so that no one gets fooled!

I found a few flats to rent in Reading on Gumtree - "wow" I thought, "these look amazing, there must be a catch here somewhere!?"
And YES there is, you have to pay £500 before you even view the too good to be true property. Hmm, I think this might possibly be a big fat SCAM - anyone agree?!

all I want is somewhere nice to live!!!

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Thanks for the interest you have in my flat. My flat is still available for rent and here are the necessary things you need to know about the rent and deposit.

Rent : £ 100.00 pw
Minimum Stay : 2 weeks Security Deposit: £ 500.00 (Returnable at the end of a week stay in my flat)
Utility bills inclusive ( water, gas, council tax, TV license and wireless Internet) Utility Cost : £ 0.00 pcm

However, At this stage that you want to rent my flat, i need to know some few question about you. Can you take care of my flat as it is? How many months do you intend to rent and pay for? Do you have references in Reading? Kindly let me know when you will be able to come for the viewing of the flat.I will be looking forward reading back from you and i will like to know where you are coming from to stay in my flat.

Regards
Pastor Joan.
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Second email
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Thanks for your swift response.It is unfortunate that my past bitter experience of inviting people to come and view my flat without any form of confirmation of their financial ability and not keeping up to time as at when scheduled, has brought about great loss to me. I have traveled all the way from Ireland to take some interested candidates round my flat because that's where i work as a pastor of (Kilrush Church of Ireland Graveyard, Co. Wexford ).

Some outside tenants do not have the money to pay the rent and yet they disturb the landlord to arrange a viewing with their friend or relative who are in Reading, also some do not meet up with the appointments which has led to the dismissal of some landlords in office by there employees.

Henceforth my lawyer and i have decided to carry out a simple test on financial ability to pay for my rent before coming for viewing. I would not ask you to send your bank statement. At least 1 Month rent and security deposit which is £ 500 which is refundable after your first week stay in my flat, would be required from you to transfer through Western Union Money Transfer. You can make the transfer with your name as a sender name and your partner or friend in UK premises as a receiver.

Once you have done this, Scan the receipt to me and if you do not have scanner, you may write out the details on the receipt as i will send it to my lawyer to verify if it's truly genuine and available in your friend's custody, after verification, then we can proceed for the viewing and you can as well tell your friend or partner to pick up the money and also, i will refund back to you the cost of transfer when we meet.

Kindly reply if you have more questions to ask. +447024098814

Regards
Pastor Joan.

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Virtually identical emails for renting houses have also come from:

[email protected]
[email protected]


I didn't fall for such a blatant trap but I guess some people may not be aware of such scams!

Nyrrem

Welcome here Nyrrem.

Yes, you're right, it's a well known scam. The telephone number he gave you, the +4470 is a re-direct number which can connect you to a phone anywhere in the world.
Well done on posting this here.

Hello Nyrrem

As David says, it is indeed a scam.

Whoever the Western Union transfer was sent to, as soon as the scammer received the details of it, he (and it probably is a 'he' despite the fake name Pastor Joan) would be able to collect the money himself. He does not really own a property for rent, his only aim is to steal that money.

I'm glad that you were suspicious, and didn't get tricked by it.

Here is the next e-mail out of a matter of interest to anyone:

Thanks for your swift response.it's fully furnish in and out with all necessary house use. the idea of making a confirmation of your financial ability is not only my idea, my lawyer and i decided to use that process and i can't violate my lawyer procedure.

However,i didn't want to collect any money from you as long as you have not sign a contract neither have i taken you round my flat. All what i request of you is to transfer the 1Month rent (400 Pounds) + security deposit (500Pounds) = (900 Pounds) to someone close to you in UK through western union.here is how you can get the transfer done.


1.Locate the nearest Western Union Money Transfer outlet around you and you can as well send me your address so that i can find a nearest location for you.
2.Pick up the form of transfer and fill in the details which needs to be filled and return back to the post master.Details needed on the form are {sender name;your name and address.}{receiver name and address}
3. Return back to the post master with the cash you are transferring to your partner or friend and wait for the receipt to be returned back to you.

Once the deposit is transferred, you will get back to me with a scan copy of the transfer receipt so that i can forward it to my lawyer to confirm if the transfer is valid and available in your friend custody.

After the confirmation might have been made by my lawyer, i will ask you to tell you friend to pick up the money and schedule a convenient day for the viewing. i promise to return the cost of the transfer without any deduction.

Regards!

Oh, and thanks guys! Cheers Chris for explaining how this worked, no idea how he would get the money. . . but now I know!