Rental Scam cambridgerooms.org ([email protected])

[Cambs]

Don't trust the internet site cambridgerooms.org! Although it all seems to be trustworthy and "Robert van der Velden" even calls you with a Cambridge phone number, it's a scam. Please don't be as naive as I was to send money in advance to secure a room.

[AlanJones]

For Google

Cambridge Rooms
Coldham's Business Park
Coldham's Lane, CB1 3LH Cambridge Tel: + 44(0)1223 926664
[email protected]
www.cambridgerooms.org

Registered by an individual in the USA

Domain ID: D172905691-LROR
Creation Date: 2014-06-10T23:00:54Z
Updated Date: 2014-08-10T03:47:18Z
Registry Expiry Date: 2015-06-10T23:00:54Z
Sponsoring Registrar:1 & 1 Internet AG (R73-LROR)
Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID: 83
WHOIS Server:
Referral URL:
Domain Status: ok
Registrant ID:SPAG-47151264
Registrant Name:Sofia Paleri
Registrant Organization:
Registrant Street: 401 Washington St
Registrant City:Cambridge
Registrant State/Province:MA
Registrant Postal Code:02139
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.4122392664
Registrant Phone Ext:
Registrant Fax:
Registrant Fax Ext:
Registrant Email:[email protected]

[fiorentinof]

Agengy name now is roomsexpress.org ([email protected] Vincent de Klerk +44(0)1223969773 ).
They ask you to send money in advance to secure a room. It all seems quite trustworthy as "Vincent de Klerk" even calls you but it's a fake.

[pepperpony]

If you've been affected, please report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. The more reports they collate the better it is for people who have been hit. Has anyone had any luck getting their money back by any chance...?

[fiorentinof]

Now it is http://roomsdirectcambridge.com

[Bryon Williams]

Hello fiorentinof,

Can you please post any emails from them with the email header. Please remove any of your personal information.

ROOMS DIRECT CAMBRIDGE

Domain Name: Domain Name: ROOMSDIRECTCAMBRIDGE.COM
Registrar: 1 & 1 INTERNET AG
Whois Server: whois.schlund.info
Referral URL: http://1and1.com
Name Server: NS-US.1AND1-DNS.COM
Name Server: NS-US.1AND1-DNS.DE
Name Server: NS-US.1AND1-DNS.ORG
Name Server: NS-US.1AND1-DNS.US
Status: ok
Updated Date: 08-oct-2014
Creation Date: 08-oct-2014
Expiration Date: 08-oct-2015
Registrar: 1 & 1 INTERNET AG
Whois Server: whois.schlund.info
Referral URL: http://1and1.com
Name Server: NS-US.1AND1-DNS.COM
Name Server: NS-US.1AND1-DNS.DE
Name Server: NS-US.1AND1-DNS.ORG
Name Server: NS-US.1AND1-DNS.US
Status: ok
Updated Date: 08-oct-2014
Creation Date: 08-oct-2014
Expiration Date: 08-oct-2015

[pepperpony]

Name is now David Henry Richards.

[sku882]

Hi
I was a victim of this scam artist too. Back in July I applied to move into an apartment on John street Cambridge and as I was in a hurry I didn't have time to view the property. I was instructed to pay in advance, which in hindsight I should not have done and so I did an internet transfer to an account in Ireland. The agents name was Robert van der veldon of cambridgerooms.com. We had spoken on the phone and it all seemed legitimate with pictures and a real address. On the day of my moving in it was raining hard...I waited and called and waited...nobody arrived. A kind lady saw me and let me wait in her house. It wasn't long before I realised nobody was coming and I had been scammed. I broke down and since then I've been financially struggling. I reported it to action fraud who then forwarded the case to London met police. I've been trying to get an update on the case but I've resigned to the fact that I'll never see that money again. Its caused me great stress and I've developed temporary alopecia. I don't know what to do.
Has anyone been refunded yet? Is it possible to get the money back??
Thanks for reading.
Sku

[fiorentinof]

Now is http://www.expatroomscambridge.com/

[Bryon Williams]

Please post evidence of the scam.

[skansweeper]

I can confirm that this artist and is probably still operational, I have fortunately not fallen victim/transferred any money but would like to share my experience. I was looking for accommodation in Cambridge last year and also a this year and during both searches made contact with familiar sounding agents. In both cases an advert was placed on an online notice board with details of the room and an email address of the "landlord". Upon contacting the "landlord", they would recommend you leave your mobile number with them or to contact another email address (this was [email protected] in July 2014, and [email protected] in April 2015). I assume this double email method is to get around moderators of various notice boards.

After contacting the second email address, I received a phone call or email (This was Robert van del Velden in 2014, and Peter van Marken in 2015). In the email details about the property as well as alternatives were given, and PDFs with pictures were attached. Also attached were blank "tenancy agreements" which had information about the "booking" procedure. In both instances the front cover of all PDFs featured a highly pixelated image of the Kings College Chapel and the University of Cambridge Crest.

Also in both instances the agent gave the option to view the property but this always was about 2~3 weeks away from the point of contact, presumably to implant a "if I don't pay now, somebody else will book it instead before the viewing date" feeling. Upon sending a reply saying that I am interested in viewing the property, this was the last point of contact and I have not heard from "Robert" or "Peter" since.

Hi
I was a victim of this scam artist too. Back in July I applied to move into an apartment on John street Cambridge and as I was in a hurry I didn't have time to view the property. I was instructed to pay in advance, which in hindsight I should not have done and so I did an internet transfer to an account in Ireland. The agents name was Robert van der veldon of cambridgerooms.com. We had spoken on the phone and it all seemed legitimate with pictures and a real address. On the day of my moving in it was raining hard...I waited and called and waited...nobody arrived. A kind lady saw me and let me wait in her house. It wasn't long before I realised nobody was coming and I had been scammed. I broke down and since then I've been financially struggling. I reported it to action fraud who then forwarded the case to London met police. I've been trying to get an update on the case but I've resigned to the fact that I'll never see that money again. Its caused me great stress and I've developed temporary alopecia. I don't know what to do.
Has anyone been refunded yet? Is it possible to get the money back??
Thanks for reading.
Sku

[Mike Wilson]

Welcome to Scamwarners skansweeper,
Thank you for posting this updated information. Please post the telephone number(s) used in this scam.

[skansweeper]

Welcome to Scamwarners skansweeper,
Thank you for posting this updated information. Please post the telephone number(s) used in this scam.

Thank you for the response, I was actually not phoned up in the recent case (April 2015) but the phone number in the email sent was +44(0) 1223 926522 (Peter van Marken). In July 2014 where Sku (posted above) fell victim to the phone number was +44(0)1223 926664 (Robert van der Velden). In July 2014 I was actually phoned up, but unfortunately the logs on my phone are gone so I cannot confirm whether it was indeed the above number or not.

*edit* scanning through some older emails, I found that in the initial emails with the landlord I was asked to phone up 01223 926750. This was in April 2015 so it is interesting that it is different from what was in the actual email from the agent.

Hope this helps.

[Mike Wilson]

Cache copy from the contact page of the now dead http://www.roomsincambridge.org

The Paddocks Business Centre

347 Cherry Hinton Rd
Cambridge CB1 8DH
United Kingdom
[email protected]

Copied from a rental ad

I am a German doctor currently working up in Cambridge, you can call me on: +44(0) 1223 926750, or +49(0) 15215780699

+44(0) 1223 926750

[McGregorous]

They are now under rooms4ucambridge.org.

I spoke to 'Peter Borgh' over email ([email protected]) and telephone (01223 926601). Same scheme as above. I was almost caught by this on Saturday before I was linked here.