From: roberto baldini <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: 1442 Milvia St, Berkeley, CA 94709
Thank you for your reply!
At this moment I'm in London and can not be present to deal face to face.
I can make arrangements to rent the apartment through Tripadvisor which is an international company dealing specifically in rentals apartments, I used it in the past and I was very pleased.
I will explain how it works..
If you decide to proceed with this transaction, I will need :
Your phone number
Full name and address
The date you want to move in
How many people
Then I will contact Tripadvisor company and they will start the process right away , Next you will receive a notification message from them containing all the instructions that you need to follow in order to complete the process and receive the keys.In order to view the apartment the Tripadvisor agent will call you to establish a meeting place.
Regarding the Payment, you will be instructed to deposit an amount to Tripadvisor the payment is by bank wire transfer to Tripadvisor bank account in UK( first month and the deposit ) they will hold and insure your money until you check the apartment and decide if you want to rent the place or not. The payment has to be completed in 24 hours from the moment you receive the invoice.(That is my insurance) because my biggest concern is that I must pay fees up front for their service .
You will be given a 2 days inspection period from the day you receive the keys and contract. Durring this period you can take a decision.If you will not be satisfied with the apartment the total amount will be refunded in the same day as per your request. If you like the apartment then this will be the process you will be following every month.
I look forward to hearing back from you
This person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union, MoneyGram, pre-paid credit card or bank transfer with a promise that you can have the keys to a property that does not belong to him.
Sounds safe. It's not!
At other times, he will ask for proof that you are able to pay the deposit and rent due to a string of time wasters.
This proof is in the form of a Western Union or MoneyGram payment to a lawyer,a friend or family member.
In either case, if payment is made and you give this person the details, they will collect the money.
You will not hear from them again.
All the details such as names, addresses, pictures etc. that the scammer uses in order to back up his story, are stolen from elsewhere.
If you are reading this because you are looking for property to rent, and you are in contact with this thief you are probably searching Craigslist, Gumtree or similar listing sites. If you receive any requests from 'Landlords' asking for some kind of payment before viewing, then it will also be a scam. Please forward the mail to me at the address in my signature line and I will investigate and list them if necessary.
