Room for Rent and other rental scams
#162841 by iainp Wed Apr 17, 2013 3:15 pm
Ah poor Frank is stuck in Manila now! I got this email this morning. Seriously, would anyone be crazy enough to respond to this and actually send him money?? :D


My Terrible Trip...Frank Ryan


I really hope you get this fast. I could not inform anyone about my trip, because it was impromptu. I had to be in Manila, Philippines for a program. The program was successful, but my journey has turned sour. I misplaced my wallet and cell phone on my way back to the hotel i lodge in after i went for sight seeing. The wallet contained all the valuables things i have. Now, my passport is in custody of the hotel management pending when i make payment.

I am sorry if i am inconveniencing you, but i have only very few people to run to now. i will be indeed very grateful if i can get a loan of 2,700 Euro from you. this will enable me sort our hotel bills and get my sorry self back home. I will really appreciate whatever you can afford in assisting me with. I promise to refund it in full as soon as I return. let me know if you can be of any assistance. Please, let me know soonest. Thanks so much..

Frank P Ryan
[email protected]
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#163830 by ononpoi Sun Apr 28, 2013 1:53 am
It would seem he is indeed a scammer. Note the intentional misspelled words and grammar issues. Then, in the last response he sent, he types two sentences in perfect English. He asks for us to take down the CL ad "so no one else can take the spot". Sketchy indeed. Reading all his other phishing and check fraud scams, not responding is the best thing to do. Beware -- especially when things seem too good to be true.

"Hello, how are you doing today?.. I saw your Apartment posted on Craigslist for rent. I'll like to know if the room is still available . Get back to me as soon as possible through your email. Here is my email ([email protected]). Thank you"

[our response omitted]

"Thanks for your response, my name is Mike Andrew from Canada. I'm moving to your area soon, I work with EPA here in Toronto, I was transfer from Toronto to carry out research work with Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) in your state. Here is little about myself, I'm a Doctor, i speak English and French, am single, fun, loving, clean, and respectful of others, don't drugs/smoke. My father is from US and my Mother is from Canada, am { 30yrs old/M }. I attended University of Toronto, where i gain my Medical Doctor (M.D.) a physician's degree and Masters.

I'm coming for a short term stay, the lease is for how many months? am ready to sign the lease agreement as soon as i get there. I'll like to pay for the first month rent fee now... I'll would have like to come and check the room before renting but am very busy here with my preparation, i will love to see 1 or 2 of the room pics. I'll like you to tell me little about yourself, please let me know the total amount for the first month rent and payment will be done in Us dollar certified check.. It's my employer that will sponsor me and responsible for my rent and traveling expenses. Kindly get back to me with the below information, so that the check will be send out to you. Please get back to me with the cost and i will be glad to update you and make the payment in advance to show you how serious and for you to secure the room for me.

Full name to be on the check :-
Street address (not P.O Box): -
City:-
State:-
Zip code:-
First Month rent fee :-
Mobile number:

I wait for the information from you as soon as possible, so that i can forward it to my employer to issue out the check for the first month rent, you can hold on the place for me upon my arrival. If you have any agreement form to fill out, the lease agreement will be sign with my physical signature on my arrival. I'll be using the room started from June.

My information
Mike Andrew
200 Elizabeth St
Toronto, ON M5G 2C4
+1 805-364-0287"

[very well-crafted response giving him all info he would need, omitted]

"Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me with the information requested. I'll forward the information to my employer in united states to send you the check as soon as possible. I really appreciate your effort that you are ready to accept me, i 'll like you to have a little patience for the check to arrive to your location and also secure the room prior to my arrival. I want you to take the Ad down CL, this will give me a strong prove that the room has been hold down for me and other interested people will not make any enquirer..If there is any other information i will let you know.

Thank you"
#166649 by cbkelly68 Thu May 23, 2013 6:10 pm
Hi.....this scammer almost got me hooked in as well. He insisted on knowing the address of my listing on Craigslist for the purposes of a "certified check." I did not provide it and suggested we chat first. Once I got no response to that overture I did a little web research and found this site. Thank you. I should have looked into it first though luckily no money exchanged hands. It did sound fishy with some poor grammar and the desire to take down my Craigslist ad.

cbkelly
#169278 by Anna MX Wed Jun 19, 2013 9:58 am
Looks like Mike/Frank went to Manila and got a sex change. Just got this email from him/her.

Thanks for your response, my name is Jessica Warren from Canada. I'm
moving to your area soon, I work with EPA here in Toronto, I was
transfer from Toronto to carry out research work with Environmental
Protection Agency(EPA) in your state. Here is little about myself,
I'm a Doctor, i speak English and French, am single, fun, loving,
clean, and respectful of others, don't drugs/smoke. My father is
from US and my Mother is from Canada, am { 27yrs old/F }. I attended
University of Toronto, where i gain my Medical Doctor (M.D.) a
physician's degree and Masters.

I'm coming for a short term stay, the lease is for how many months? am
ready to sign the lease agreement as soon as i get there. I'll like to
pay for the first month rent fee now... I'll would have like to come
and check the room before renting but am very busy here with my
preparation, i will love to see 1 or 2 of the room pics. I'll like
you to tell me little about yourself, please let me know the total
amount for the first month rent and payment will be done in Us dollar
certified check.. It's my employer that will sponsor me and
responsible for my rent and traveling expenses. Kindly get back to me
with the below information, so that the check will be send out to
you. Please get back to me with the cost and i will be glad to update
you and make the payment in advance to show you how serious and for
you to secure the room for me.

Full name to be on the check :- Street address (not P.O Box): -
City:- State:- Zip code:- First Month rent fee :- Mobile
number:

I wait for the information from you as soon as possible, so that i
can forward it to my employer to issue out the check for the first
month rent, you can hold on the place for me upon my arrival. If you
have any agreement form to fill out, the lease agreement will be sign
with my physical signature on my arrival. I'll be using the room
started from July.

My information
Jessica Warren
200 Elizabeth St
Toronto, ON M5G 2C4
+1 805-364-0287



Thank you for all your posts. It saved me some energy. I was simply going to reply that I do not rent unless I meet in person.
Cheers,
Anna
#174297 by Scoobydid Sat Aug 17, 2013 11:17 am
Hey there,
This scam gets real scary, real fast. I own a daycare and here is what I received:

Hello i just want to know if you can care for my daughter in your place for 1 month start from Sep 1st to Sep 31st from Monday to Friday and the cost for it.. if not available please get back to me with available date and time for you to care for my daughter....Please reply me on to my email on: [email protected]

Oliva
Thanks

T-Mobile. America¹s First Nationwide 4G Network

And so I replied by asking a whole bunch of questions (gender, age, name of child, needs etc...) and I received this response;
Hello,
How are you doing, im very sorry for late response i contact you about
care for my daughter in about 2 month ago, my name is Oliva Jacob from
Canada (Toronto) I'm moving to your area for 4 weeks contract with
Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) in united states. My daughter
name is (Wendy, she is 5 yrs old) i want you to help me Care for her
from 9am to 4pm from Monday to Friday for 4 weeks.She is very nice
gentle attractive and neat .You do not have to worry about
transportation, I have negotiate with a cab Driver that will be
driving her down to your place go and come. Get back to me with the
total cost, it is my financier in the united state that will sponsor
me and responsible for the payment, so i want you to get all show you
how serious i am, because i want everything to be done before i will
get back to the states. Kindly get back to me with the below
information so that the check will be made out to you immediately.

Full name to be on the check :-
Street address (not P.O Box): -
City:-
State:-
Zip code:-
Total charges:-
Mobile number for easier communication:

I will await for the information from you as soon as possible. Remember she
is all i have and i really want a conducive and pleasant atmosphere
for her. We will arrived to the state on 28 of Aug start on
the 29 of Aug 2013.

Oliva Jacob
200 Elizabeth St
Toronto, ON M5G 2C4

Thanks for your kindness and God bless you

Bad grammar for someone from Toronto. Also, usually Canadians know that we refer to our territories as provinces and postal codes. Red flag!!! Google helped me find this site. Seems our friend has moved from apartment scams to daycare scams. Yikes. God help us all!!

Thanks for the heads up!
#175283 by daniellesky Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:51 pm
I just got this email regarding my daycare service. I am Lawrenceville GA..
WOW Scam Artist,Thanks for posting and making us aware of this person.

From: craigslist reply 0917 <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 2:44 PM
Subject: Benefield Elementary School After School Care

Hello i just want to know if you can care for my daughter in your place for 1 month start from Sep 15 to Oct 15 from Monday to Friday and the cost for it.. if not available please get back to me with available date and time for you to care for my daughter....Please reply me on to my email on:[email protected]

Oliva
Thanks

T-Mobile. America¹s First Nationwide 4G Network
#175290 by Maverickdh Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:46 pm
Hi, i was looking for a flat in edinburgh and came across a vacancy through starflats website. We have exchanged emails and this is what i have got in my second reply. I was still in contact with them through mails. Is there any way to trace these guys . Please let me know. Thanks



Thanks for getting back to me. I wouldn't want you to get me wrong and am not asking you to pay before the viewing, 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. I am a God fearing woman and i am not after your money. I have my own work and i earn enough money for my family and also to help the less privileged.

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 deposit together with a month rent to someone close to you through Western union, once you've done that, you 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.

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. If eventually you don't want to proceed with the rent, i promise to return the cost of the transfer without any deduction.Western union is the fast and easiest way to send money.

Kindly let me know your opinion in time in other to avoid time wasting.

Regards
Mr/Mrs Pedro
+447024023829
#175952 by SalvoSweetie Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:46 pm
This guy is now posting as "Dr Richard Chyper".............. Interestingly enough, the 200 Elizabeth St address he is so fond of using is actually a hospital lol.

He replied to an ad I had for a rental home on Craigslist, and refused to pay by credit card, insisted on a certified check instead. Unfortunatley it was my husband corresponding with him not me. When I read the emails I immediately smelled a rat. Glad I found this!!!!
Last edited by SalvoSweetie on Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
#177769 by Plumm6610 Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:02 am
Alice Williams sure changed her tune quick, she's now looking for something in the middle of the mountains in Washington. Exact email word for word. Thought things were ok at first but gradually got more frustrating and found more holes in the story, finally said that if I didn't receive a phone call I would ship the check back where it came from got a call and heard what sounded like a man from India trying to mask his voice. Have two numbers associated with "her" one is based out of Austin, tx the other out of either south Carolina or India (both turned up in search results) when I called the tx number the message said you had reached Javier...... Said s
"she" doesn't drink and sent me a pic of her in a corona hat. Each time I confronted "her" on something I wouldn't get a response about it just a message telling me to cash the check. And what the project is that "she's" working on is, "she" wouldn't tell me. I'm going to call where he check was issued from today and see what they say. I've had the check for several days now because I was suspicious, glad I found this.
#177902 by sangnav Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:32 pm
Mr Frank Ryan has a new name now

Lewis Smarty <[email protected]>

Yes am interested, I will be coming on this vacation with my wife
from Canada,our trip will be sponsored by wife financial in united
state having contract with them and payment will be done by US
certified check.please let me have the following information so that
the check can be sent to you.
Name which you want to appear on the check:
Address (not P.O Box):
City
State:
Zip code
Tel
Total Amount
Hope to hear from you soon.
My Email is:- [email protected]

Dr Lewis Smith
200 Elizabeth St
Toronto, ON M5G 2C4

Thanks i have discuss with my wife we all agree to the date Nov 9 to 16
available in your place i will be happy if you can reserve its
for us..your email so i can forward information.

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