Long time, no visit -- fortunately! But now that I'm apt.-hunting, the best I can describe this episode is to include what I've just e-mailed a friend, with redactions:
> On Aug 8, 2016, at 1:36 PM, ****** wrote:
>
> I responded to a listing on Craig's, got this (after I rescued it from my
> junk e-mail filter -- spam trap):
>
> ***********************************************
>
> ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
> Subject: Re: apartment
> From: "Kendra Graham" <[email protected]>
> Date: Sun, August 7, 2016 2:14 pm
> To: ********
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hello ,
> <br><br>
> Thank you for your interest in the property listed for rent. You were the
> second to contact from the ad. The first prospective renter no longer had
> to move because of his home situation. So we give the opportunity to you.
> We are now prepared to rent with flexible terms and just completed all new
> renovations. We will work together with you on move in date, lease length
> and security deposit.
> <br><br>
> I know that you need the exact address of the property but my husband does
> not want me disclose due to security reasons. We have had a string of
> break ins, squatters and thefts at our other properties. We want to
> prevent that with this property due to the renovations that have cost
> plenty of money. You are going to be the first to move in with the
> renovations. That is why we want to confirm you have your latest report
> before we schedule a tour.
> <br><br>
> All utilities are priced into the lease along with garage parking spaces.
> The appliances in the kitchen as well as laundry room were just installed.
> You have the option to choose your paint color and flooring prior to your
> move in
> <br><br>
> If you want us to schedule you for a tour, then please visit the link
> below and get your report. All of our tenants use this site because it is
> widely trusted. Just fill out the form and indicate that you want the
> report. We aren't interested in specifics of your report, it's more of a
> formality to ensure you have rental history. You can get your report by
> <a href="http://sttime.info/9b628457cd32e31b4a94287e71697ca9">CLICKING
> HERE</a>
> <br><br>
> Keep in mind that you only have to bring your report to the tour. Please
> let me know when you grab your report. I can then schedule you for a walk
> through of the place.
> <br><br>
> Thank you,<br>
> Kendra
> <br><br>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: *******
> Sent: Saturday, August 6, 2016 13:59
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: apartment
>
> Dear Ms. Harmon:
>
> I'm interested, thanks.
>
> Sincerely,
> ********
>
> **********************************************
>
> Now compare to http://salem.craigslist.org/apa/5677601187.html . I
> searched for a string in their response above, because it looked like I
> was headed for a swindle if I clicked that link. It may not have swindled
> me directly, but just as a confidence trick to get me to spend for an
> expensive credit report. Then again, it may have been to get me to
> download some malware.
I went back to find the listing on Craig's (by owner), but it's expired, so no use reporting it there, I guess. It had asked for a text (to the lister's phone #), but I left a voice message there and sent an e-mail. The fact that it got caught in my spam filter was somewhat telling, because it does search for frequently-used strings, but it was at a score that didn't indicate much spaminess and includes a few false positives at my setting. Darn, it looked so good, but just a bit suspicious in terms of the difficulty of getting a response.
The name it'd been listed by was an Oriental-seeming first name I don't recall, Harmon being the last name. http://tourletsgo.site is apparently a legitimate one used to anonymize people for security reasons in real estate. That's the problem: assuring the security of parties at both ends of a possible transaction. It seems like the more security there is against one party's being robbed, the less security there is for the other. tourletsgo.site I'm sure can't afford to check that people using their service really do have a place to show, any more than Craig's List can.
> On Aug 8, 2016, at 1:36 PM, ****** wrote:
>
> I responded to a listing on Craig's, got this (after I rescued it from my
> junk e-mail filter -- spam trap):
>
> ***********************************************
>
> ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
> Subject: Re: apartment
> From: "Kendra Graham" <[email protected]>
> Date: Sun, August 7, 2016 2:14 pm
> To: ********
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hello ,
> <br><br>
> Thank you for your interest in the property listed for rent. You were the
> second to contact from the ad. The first prospective renter no longer had
> to move because of his home situation. So we give the opportunity to you.
> We are now prepared to rent with flexible terms and just completed all new
> renovations. We will work together with you on move in date, lease length
> and security deposit.
> <br><br>
> I know that you need the exact address of the property but my husband does
> not want me disclose due to security reasons. We have had a string of
> break ins, squatters and thefts at our other properties. We want to
> prevent that with this property due to the renovations that have cost
> plenty of money. You are going to be the first to move in with the
> renovations. That is why we want to confirm you have your latest report
> before we schedule a tour.
> <br><br>
> All utilities are priced into the lease along with garage parking spaces.
> The appliances in the kitchen as well as laundry room were just installed.
> You have the option to choose your paint color and flooring prior to your
> move in
> <br><br>
> If you want us to schedule you for a tour, then please visit the link
> below and get your report. All of our tenants use this site because it is
> widely trusted. Just fill out the form and indicate that you want the
> report. We aren't interested in specifics of your report, it's more of a
> formality to ensure you have rental history. You can get your report by
> <a href="http://sttime.info/9b628457cd32e31b4a94287e71697ca9">CLICKING
> HERE</a>
> <br><br>
> Keep in mind that you only have to bring your report to the tour. Please
> let me know when you grab your report. I can then schedule you for a walk
> through of the place.
> <br><br>
> Thank you,<br>
> Kendra
> <br><br>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: *******
> Sent: Saturday, August 6, 2016 13:59
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: apartment
>
> Dear Ms. Harmon:
>
> I'm interested, thanks.
>
> Sincerely,
> ********
>
> **********************************************
>
> Now compare to http://salem.craigslist.org/apa/5677601187.html . I
> searched for a string in their response above, because it looked like I
> was headed for a swindle if I clicked that link. It may not have swindled
> me directly, but just as a confidence trick to get me to spend for an
> expensive credit report. Then again, it may have been to get me to
> download some malware.
I went back to find the listing on Craig's (by owner), but it's expired, so no use reporting it there, I guess. It had asked for a text (to the lister's phone #), but I left a voice message there and sent an e-mail. The fact that it got caught in my spam filter was somewhat telling, because it does search for frequently-used strings, but it was at a score that didn't indicate much spaminess and includes a few false positives at my setting. Darn, it looked so good, but just a bit suspicious in terms of the difficulty of getting a response.
The name it'd been listed by was an Oriental-seeming first name I don't recall, Harmon being the last name. http://tourletsgo.site is apparently a legitimate one used to anonymize people for security reasons in real estate. That's the problem: assuring the security of parties at both ends of a possible transaction. It seems like the more security there is against one party's being robbed, the less security there is for the other. tourletsgo.site I'm sure can't afford to check that people using their service really do have a place to show, any more than Craig's List can.