"This is an actual scammer this is how he first got in contact with me"
Hello Mohamed, thank you for your reply. First of all I must tell you that I own the place and it's not a sublease. I imagine you searched several apartments so let me refresh your memory, mine it's located on 431 Northlake Dr ,San Jose, CA 95117, 1br, 1ba, parking and utilities included - $1000.00 monthly rent for the entire place, available as we speak.
My name is Jeffrey Franklin Silson, you can call me Jeff. I own several properties in the US and abroad. I'm a retired stockbroker by the way so money is not the issue here, I'm just looking for a serious tenant that will take care of the place so can you please tell me a few things about you and your way of life.Also please confirm your phone number .
Anyway, check the attached photos and if you're good to go, just send me a reply and I will explain the rental process.
Thank you for your time,
Jeffrey Franklin Silson
"He seemed really sketchy to me from the beginning because why is he telling me he is rich? but i just went ahead and replied to him with a message that I am interested in the spot and asked him about lease terms, then he sent me the below message with fake paperwork he asked me to fill out "
Sounds good Mohamed. Let me explain how I work as I like an out of the box thinking, but simple and efficient.
There are several big rental companies like Airbnb, Homeaway or TripAdvisor. Airbnb alone has more than 150 million users so you probably already used or heard of it. They don't allow long-term rental, but I'm willing to offer you two weeks short-term for free. The reason I'm willing to do this it's that I get to see how you will keep the place and all before we sign the long-term agreement.
You will enjoy the trial a lot as you will get comfortable with the neighborhood and all until we jump into the long-term rental. If you want to move in on a later date, you can still do the Airbnb reservation and set the two weeks trial around your preferred move in date.
This trial period will not cost you a dime but Airbnb will still ask you for a $950 security deposit (you will get it back once the trial ends). You don't pay that to me, you will pay to Airbnb they will keep the money as a security measure so no one leaves with the furniture or damages the place.
The terms are not negotiable, I like spending time with my family and I'm not willing to do a walk-through or any presentation, that's what the short term is for. If you have more questions, send me an email and I will get back to you.
If you agree, all you have to do is to fill in the attached form and I will send you the trial offer. I made it in PDF format and Office format.
P.S. The rent includes water, electricity, sewer, cable, internet and HOA (HOA's generally cover the following: Common Area Maintenance, Exterior Building Maintenance, Limited Insurance, Sewer, Roof Maintenance and Termite). Pets are allowed and parking spot included in the rent. Also the the apartment comes just like in the photos I sent you. If you prefer the apartment unfurnished, just let me know and I will move the current furniture into the storage unit.
Thank you for your time,
Jeffrey Franklin Silson
"2 weeks of rent-free!! At this point, I knew he was fake but I just wanted to see how far he was willing to go with the scam so I just filled out the paperwork without giving him any major confidential information. I also wanted to get his number so I could report him so then I asked him for his number and this is how he replied back to me "
Currently I'm on my boat with my family and all I have is a very slow internet satellite connection so I'll stick to the email as preferred method of communication.Thank you for completing the form. Now we can go ahead with the Airbnb trial, they will process your info and you should get the offer by the end of the day. Just keep an eye on your inbox.
Thank you
Jeffrey Franklin Silson
"That sealed the deal with the little doubts that I had left, this man is a scam yall don't be FOOLED and don't pay Him any money in advance"
