I think I've been taken.

Hi guys,

First of all, I sincerely thank you for any help.

Place in question
http://melbourne.craigslist.com.au/sub/3658310426.html

So I am an international student from Canada looking to get an apartment in the CBD of Melbourne, and I saw ad on craigslist and got pretty excited, as this apartment was right in my price range and close to my school.

However, I think I may have been taken, as I have sent my security deposit to his bank through online banking at Australia New Zealand Bank 2 days ago and have not gotten a response since. I have also asked for confirmation of receiving my payment with no response. All replies before payment were within 24 hours.

The name: Thomas Lashan. I didn't notice this before but in his email signature in his reply he spelt his last name "Lachlan".

The bank account owner: "Property Manager" Peter Bailey at ANZ Bank. I have all of the details relating to the account. All of the details have been scanned and appear to be images placed on word documents.

The more I read the more I believe I have been swifted out of my money, but I am not 100% convinced as it has only been 2 days.

If this is a scam, what steps do I take to submitting it to the authorities. I realize in my excitement I may have made a huge mistake, but how can I at the very least help bring justice?

Welcome to ScamWarners bfloris11, the first thing I would do is contact my bank regarding the money sent. I would take all documentation with me and talk to a Manager or member of their fraud investigation team.

Sadly, your money is probably gone. Scammers use money mules to receive the money and forward it on to them. You may be able to get something started, but the money mule is typically also a victim.

Bringing scammers to justice, is a goal we all have, though it is very rare because they know how to hide and keep their true identity hidden.

Please post up the email address the scammer used. You can and should notify craig's list so they can pull him off. I am sorry you were taken in by the scammer's lies.

If you used a BIC to send the money, you have indeed been swifted If you haven't seen the apartment, and you've sent money to an "escrow agent" to get the keys, it's a scam. Please print out the emails with full headers and show them to your bank, and also post them here (not just the addresses, but delete your own address).

I was really hoping that we would be able to tell you not to worry, but unfortunately, it looks very much like you were scammed.

A google image search of the photos used in the craigslist ad leads back to an already rented apartment at that location:

http://www.thehomepage.com.au/property/rental/705-25-33-wills-street-melbourne/268109

The apartment was actually 2 bedroom, and it is now rented, but the google history shows the rent was $560 a week. Even if we ignore the copied pics, or assume they are stock photos for the building (not particularly likely), based on $560 for a 2 bedroom, There is no way a 1 bedroom would be going for $200 a week.

The price that is way too low for the area, combined with the advance bank transfer and the absence after the money, all say scam.

Could you post any emails they sent you, including the addresses, so that it can hopefully stop others from falling for this scam?

I've given my pay pal email address to what I believed to be a genuine offer on a sofa,
I've only given my address, no other info, am I in trouble?

If it's a scam and you've given only your email address, you have nothing to fear.

I don't know if this is at all related but I have too been scammed by Tom Lashan.
I live in Melbourne, Australia however the scammer that I know is actually from the United Emirates and sells mobiles phones, yamaha keyboards etc. Tom Lashan who is some sport fitness guru from Fitzroy shares him name, is he really a crook too?

I was scammed on Alibaba.com in relation to a baby pram. Tom Lashan from ANS also does sell his goods on Alibaba....very big coincidence

Sarah

I wanted to find out the end result; was this Thomas Lashan a scammer?

I found this Post on CL, (Nov-30-2014) and he replied using the same name "Thomas Lashan". Seems to be not the smartest thief if he hasn't even changed his fake name.


http://melbourne.craigslist.com.au/sub/4768872603.html

Anyways, This apartment does seem to good to be true.

Welcome to Scamwarners gijjy,

Thank you for the update.

Can you please post the email address he used and an email he sent you.

This will be helpful to potential victims if they search for the information.

To all posted re Tom Lashan.
Firstly I feel bad for all who have been scammed by Nigerian scammers using my name Tom Lashan. How do I know they are Nigerian, eventually I spoke to them and clearly can tell they are of African decent, and with all the scams we read and hear about comes from Nigeria, calculated guess.
I'm Tom Lashan and I too was scammed, that's how they have all my information.
Here is how they got me,
I advertised on an angel investor site to raise funds for my company, I was contacted by many with genuine enquiry but also form scammers.
This one particular scammer was brilliant, the story told and the excitement they create was unbelievably brilliant. But as we get emotional it feeds the story further and they go on with it, all you got scammed know what I mean.
Without making it a long story I'll keep it short, they said they loved my project and they would fund it. Made me fill out an application with all my details and that included a scanned copy of my passport.
After emotionally roping me in, they asked for application fee, bank funds release fee, I was convinced, I was excited so I did, after giving them several thousands of dollars for The Application, they had further stories to drum up setting up asking for more.
I said I needed to speak with them first as I got suspicious, once on the phone and they called, I can tell this was a big scam. I of course rejected paying anymore and even sent an email asking to cancel my application.
Then they got ugly, threatening me with death, saying they will make my name mud and kill off my business. No matter what I did I was going to lose this became clear, I chose to ignore it and don't give it energy.
Two reason why I had not acted sooner and posted on here. One, i did not want to give them satisfaction and give them energy as that is what they thrive on. Two was South Australian fraud was investigating it and did not want to alert the scammers as I have noticed some posts on here are from them to fuel it.
The bank story and the Sarah post on here I'm sure comes from them.
So for the ones who operate this blog, site please investigate these posts and its location, maybe send it or report it as scam.
Anyone I do business with that sees this, please call me and ask, it's seriously easy to see its all a scam. For most know how to contact me to verify any of this bullshit so please do so.
For the scammers, I hope you are struck with an illness that makes you suffer 10 times that your scammer victims felt and experienced.
I hate to feel this, but this is why scammers reduce us to.

Tom

This post is up here by the African scammer because I will not be scammed any more than I have.

For all that read this below, seriously what will the bank be doing on here, they could easily report it if it was true and send police to my place.

God they have nothing better to do but dream up ideas on stories to tell to scam.

Tom

Interesting post here :

http://scbfraudinvestigationalert.blogs ... -results=2

I think this might be your scammer :



THE SIAM COMMERCIAL BANK FRAUD ALERTPROFESSIONAL ALLEGED FRAUD (Investigation, on):

CEO/ : Thomas Lashan
81 Johnston St., Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia


Passport # E4042059





This man has Contacted oir bank with scan copy of authenticated WILL and Inheritance Certificate and he came as a next of kin to embezzle the sum of US$325 million dollars. for one of our late Customer.
All necessary approvals was offered to his application for these fraud payment but the board of directors was intelligent enough to request for an impossible document that any fraudster could process and that was the end of his communication and we know that this man activity can be successful in some banks that has low security apparrel and so we have forwarded his details to the Thailand police for further investigationn and subsequent arrest.

We are WARNING !! the entire public to beware of this man and his Company ANS Protein until the fraud investigation unit nails him dowm.