Craigslist Rental Scam Being Run From Nigeria?

August 6th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

The FBI has released a statement that a new Craigslist Rental Scam is being run out of Nigeria. Famous for the Advance Fee Scam, or 419 fraud, the Nigerian con artists are now targeting renters in America to try to collect rental deposits on homes they do not own.

Here is the FBI report of what is occurring. If you are using Craigslist to find rental property, please make sure that you are in contact with a real person in real life. If a deal seems to good to be true and the person only stays in contact on the internet, odds are that you and your money could be in peril.

Homeowners list their homes for sale with real estate agents, who will list the homes for sale in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and also with public search websites, which allow individuals to query homes for sale via the Internet. Nigerian scammers find homes listed for sale on these public search sites, copy the pictures and listings verbatim, and then post the information onto Craigslist under available housing rentals, without the consent or knowledge of Craigslist, who has been notified.

After the posting is listed, unsuspecting individuals contact the poster, who is Nigerian, for more information on the “rental.” The Nigerian scammer will state that they had to leave the country very quickly to do missionary or contract work in Africa and were unable to rent their house before leaving, therefore they have to take care of this remotely. The “homeowner” sends the prospective renter an application and tells them to send them first and last month’s rent to the Nigerian scammer via Western Union. The prospective renter is further told If they “qualify,” they will send them the keys for their house. Once the money is wired to the scammer, they show up at the house, see the home is actually for sale, are unable to access the property, and their money is gone.

Federal Bureau of Investigation – The Columbia Division: Press Release.

There Are 88 Responses So Far. »

Comment by real estate advertising on 6 August 2009:

man oh man these scammers find new ways to rip people off. They are always one step ahead of every one else may be craigslist need to stop all ads from Nigeria. I personally always stays away from too good to be true and fishy advertisements.

Margaret
Comment by Matthew Smith on 7 August 2009:

Some one in Nigeria is running a scam trying to dupe the American public, I find this hard to believe! Next you are going to tell me that I didn’t win the African Lottery
Comment by Tom Royce on 7 August 2009:

Matthew,

I hate to break it to you…

It is interesting that the Nigerians are on the cutting edge of scams.
Pingback by Daily summary of real estate news, tweets and Memphis comments – August 7th, 10:36am | Memphis Real Estate Buzz on 7 August 2009:

[...] Craigslist Rental Scam Being Run From Nigeria? : The Real Estate Bloggers "The FBI has released a statement that a new Craigslist Rental Scam is being run out of [...]
Comment by Real Estate Investment Software on 16 August 2009:

Thanks for the heads up!
Comment by spectre on 23 August 2009:

This is so annoying. Just wasted time writing emails to someone about an apt in manhattan that supposedly was for rent. Either the guy’s the most aggressively dyslexic person I’v ever heard of, or he’s a con artist (maybe african). I feel like such a mark even though I didn’t reveal anything personal or pay a cent.
Comment by Terry/florida on 25 August 2009:

This is true…believe it! I am currently talking with a guy from Ikeja, Nigeria posing as the owers of a home I’m trying to rent here in Florida. He told me that GOD has been good to him so he was only asking $1400.00/month rent for a home that I found days later on a real estate site for $2995.00/month. He said that he had to leave the states quickly and that he took the keys and remotes for the gate and garage with him. He was a missionary in Africa doing GOD’s work. Today he called me from Nigeria, so he says, and wanted me to send him the security deposit of $ 1700.00 and then he will forward the keys to the house. Here is the # he used 02961450n5t252. I told him I wanted to see the house first. But he sent me an e-mail telling me where to wire the money Western Union. I’m glad my daughter sent me this article but I’m not that gullible to have sent him the money. I did check the owners out at the tax collectors office but the names were the same. He just doesn’t know all the personal things that I found out about the real owners…like his wife’s name. When I asked him her name we got cut off so then he e-mails me with directions for the money. He is doing missionary work in Africa doing GOD’s work. Yea!…Right? As they say; “If it sounds too good to be true… It probably is”. Being greedy gets good people into trouble. Terry/Fl
Comment by Wendy Polisi on 28 August 2009:

Thanks so much for this great post! I run a rent to own program that currently has over $40M in inventory and our properties have been targeted by these scammers.

Just this morning, I had one of our sellers email me, concerned that our company was posting her home for $500 less that the going rate. (She was especially concerned because we went to contract on this property yesterday, and was afraid that the buyer would see the ad and it would blow the deal up.) I got the joy of explaining this hoax to her!

A couple of months back, we actually contacted the FBI because one of the scammers had gotten my husbands name in a yahoo and gmail account and was emailing people pretending to be him, even mentioning details of our children. They were not able to do anything about it unfortunately….scary stuff…
Comment by Kimberly on 1 September 2009:

There is a current scam post right now for the Indianapolis area- my hubby and I had a friend go check out a house for us because it seemed to good to be true. Turns out it was- it was fully occupied. http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/apa/1350215085.html the guy said he was in petrolum in Nigeria and his wife talked him out of selling and decided to rent. He gave +234-803-881-9419 or 011-234-803-881-9419 ) as their phone numbers. This makes long distance moving scary. We don’t have money to lose!
Comment by Shawn Mosch on 1 September 2009:

We see victims of these and other scams every day on our website. The scammers find any way that they can to get your money from you.

Bottom line, if you get a cashier’s check or money order sent to you and you are asked to wire any portion of it on to another person or back to the sender for any reason it is a scam! The bank will tell you that the check is clear in a day or two, but it actually takes and average of 10 business days for the check to go through the clearing process (sometimes longer) and once it is found to be counterfeit the bank will come looking for you to return the money.

Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of Scam Victims United
Comment by Trudy on 1 September 2009:

Simeone from South Africa listed a house 931 San Simeon Drive, Concord Ca and wants me to send him the rent of 1300 and first months rent then he will mail the keys to me. Called me and left messgs and gave me his cell number. Does anyone know anything about this one? Scam?
Comment by Devonte on 5 September 2009:

I’m starting to belive that this is a scam as well what do you think? Someone contacted me about this property on craigs list that I was interested in and it just doesn’t sound right to me!

Thanks so much for the mail,and also for the adequate answer to my question, and i want to inform you that my family and i have talk it over we have decided to give the house to you, but you have to promise us that you will take absolutely good care of our home like it was yours on our behalf OK, however i will like to inform you that you have no more bills to pay because i already paid for all the utilities bills before living for Benin,also i will like to inform you that the keys and documents are down here with us, so do note that the house is presently locked and there is no way you can have access to the interior part without having the keys and documents with you OK.

And i will also like to know if the address you provided when filling out the application is where you want the keys and documents to be deliver to, however i will also like to know the approximate date you intend to move in to my house, Meanwhile all necessary arrangement will made today for the keys and documents to be ship to your residential home address OK, so before doing all that i will like you to answer the question below,and also here is my contact number down
here,2347025935170.

1) Are you ready to move in?

2) Are you ready to make the Security deposit of $400 to secure the house and also i will have the keys and documents sent to you?

3) How long do intend to live in the house?

4) How soon do you want the keys and document to mail out to you door step?

5) Are you ready to make the payment?

I want you to get back to me with the answer to my question.
Comment by Stacy on 5 September 2009:

Sounds like it to me, I just fell for a scam yesterday, cost me $700.00. I had no idead this stuff was going on till now. The scammer was smooth, he said his wife and him were christians and were in Nigeria on business but would be back in a few years, wanted responsible renters to take care of their house for them as he built it himself. He emailed me regularly and called me a couple times too. Even sent us a rental agreement…. He said he would Fed Ex the keys to us after we made the deposit to him western union. today he called and wanted first and last months rent, thats what got me as we told him we werent going to move in till next month. I cant believe I was so stupid.
Comment by Mike H. on 7 September 2009:

I thought something was definitely wrong on a situation similar to Stacy’s–luckilly I investigated it and found out it was a scam. I want to report and/or “catch” these scumbags but I’m not sure how…
Comment by Maggie on 8 September 2009:

I knew a 3 bedroom house with all appliances was too good to be true! It was posted on Craigslist in Vancouver, WA and we emailed about the price, I figured it was a typo but this is the response i got…

“Hi,
I did get your response concerning the AD I posted on craigslist. The house is still available but presently I’m not around.. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land
sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately I won the bidding so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to rebid
for it in the next 10 years. I came over here with my wife, we both bought the house when we got married. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the
house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that. She said we may not be able to win the bidding next
time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise. So I contacted the agent back and requested
for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have give the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent
would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discovered that the price we are
offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no
way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy
the space. But I just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if
you belief you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than happy to
let you rent the house.

Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name__________________________________________________ Home Phone ( ) ________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( ) ___________________
Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( ) ____________________________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
How soon can you have the deposit payment sent to me_________________________
How soon do you want to receive the keys________________________________________
Move In Date____________________________

House Address
13802 63RD ST VANCOUVER WA

Description
this beautiful two story single family home!! Comes with ALL of the following appliances; front loading washer/dryer, stove/oven, dishwasher, refrigerator and a microwave. New carpet and a gas fireplace in the family room. All bedrooms are upstairs with high ceilings and large windows. Master has a walk-in closet.
Schools include Pioneer, Frontier and Union
RENTAL FEATURES
Features
Central heat Fireplace Walk-in closet
Family room Living room Dishwasher
Refrigerator Stove/Oven Microwave
Washer Dryer Laundry area – inside
Balcony, Deck, or Patio Yard Cable-ready

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Garage parking

No Smoking

Rent:$700 Deposit:$700

Best Regards

NEILS

YOU CAN REACH ME ON THE NUMBERS BELOW
+234-806-077-8261 OR 011-234-806-077-8261
Comment by Ame on 10 September 2009:

Here is another one from Kennie0001@googlemail.com This guy responded to my roommates post who is currently looking for an apartment to rent short term.

Hello ,

Thanks for your interest and inquiries about my house. Am looking for a responsible tenants to take care of the house as if it were his or her own. Actually I resided in the house with my Wife before. Presently am travelling to United Kingdom for a course. I decide we should better look for a responsible person or family to occupy and take care of our properties . Long or short term lease will be acceptable by me. Since i am not available now to set up a showing,i will like you to go and have a look at the enviroment and the house from the exterior and i will be willing to send you pictures of the interiors if you demand for it okay.

HOUSE DETAILS

Address: 6690 Double Eagle Drive
Woodridge, IL 60517
Bed & Bath: 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathrooms
Livable Space: Approximately 2,555 Square Feet Price / Rate: $850 Per Month including Utilities Security Deposit: $600(Refundable) which can be broken down into two parts and added to first and second month rent. Pets Allowed: Cats, Small Dogs, Large Dogs Available Date: Available Now! Rental Features: .Air conditioning .Central heat .Fireplace .High/Vaulted ceiling .Walk-in closet .Hardwood floor .Living room .Dining room .Breakfast nook .Dishwasher .Refrigerator ..Stove/Oven .Microwave .Granite countertop .Basement .Laundry area – inside

Lease Application will be sent to you to complete as soon as i hear back from you about your interest and readiness to continue with the rental process and other documentations will be processed in your name ones i have your complete application, then keys and the house documents will be shipped to you via the UPS or FEDEX SERVICE as soon as you meet all requirements and make payment for the rent/deposit.

Please feel free to ask any questions where you do not understand and i will be looking forward to receive your email as soon as possible.

Sincerely

and then he sent this…

Hello ,

Am glad to hear from you also ,you will be paying the rent fee and the security fee. thanks for assuring us that you will take care of our house like yours. My wife and i are so excited and willing to accept you as our tenant and family friend.

Please i want you to note that,i am a kind and honest man, also i spent a lot on my property that i want to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this house and want you to treat it as your own,is that taken?. The money involve is not the main problem but want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up at the end of the year….I also want you to let me have trust in you as i always stand on my word.

SO I WANT YOU TO FILL OUT THE LEASE
APPLICATIONS FORM BELOW

LEASE APPLICATION FORM Last Name ___________________First Name ______________Middle ______________ Date of Birth _________________ Home Phone_________________ Email Address: _______________________________________
Spouse’s Last Name _____________First Name______________Middle ______________ Date of Birth _________________ Other Phone: ________________ KIDS?
Number of children: ____________ Ages: _______ _______ ________
Present Address: _________________________City, ST, Zip: ______________________ Landlord’s Name: _____________________________ Landlord’s Phone: ______________ Current Rental Payment: $_______Length of Occupancy: _________________ Present Employer ____________________________________Phone _____________ Employer’s Address _________________________________Position ________________ Length of Time Employed _______ years, _______months. Approximate Monthly Income______________ Spouse’s Employer _____________________________________Phone ______________ Employer’s Address _________________________________Position __________________ Length of Time Employed _______ years, _______ months. Approximate Monthly Income __________________ Previous Employer ________________________________Position ____________________ Length of Time Employed _______ years, _______ months. Approximate Monthly Income __________________
Vehicles:
Make ____________________________ Year ____ Color __________ License # & State: ________________ Make ____________________________ Year ____ Color __________ Driver’s License # _______________ State: ____ Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? ______ Have you ever been evicted from any tenancy? _____ Have you ever refused to pay your rent or mortgage? _______ I declare that the foregoing information is true and correct. I authorize its verification and the obtaining of consumer credit report and background check. I agree that the Landlord may terminate any agreement entered into in reliance on any misstatement made above. Personal References (In Case Of Emergency, Notify) Name _________________________________ Address _______________________________ Phone _______________ Sign_________________ Note that other documentations will be processed in your name ones i have your complete application, then keys and the house documents will be shipped to you via the UPS or FEDEX SERVICE as soon as you meet all requirements and make payment for the rent/deposit.

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the monthly rent payment receipt for you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you,please we are giving you all this base on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that,we do not see yet and only putting everything into Gods hand and Trust,so please do not let us down on our property and God bless you more as you do this.

Sincerely
Comment by Mis on 10 September 2009:

I received the same email as above today except the rent was 800 and deposit 600.
Comment by sway on 10 September 2009:

I wish I would have seen this sooner! Someone actually lives in this house…I hate people like this!
Comment by Summer on 12 September 2009:

My husband and I are trying to sell our house and found out it was being listed on Craigslist for rent $400 a month! Someone came by our house took a flyer and then contacted our Realtor stating that they saw the house for rent on Craigslist. My husband sent an email acting as if he were interested in the house. We had to laugh when they reply stated that we would only be able to view the outside of the house as they had the keys with them. After researching we are fairly positive this is the same scam. I’m wondering if they will reply after they find out that we already live in the house.
Comment by Lisa Loeh on 15 September 2009:

Hello I got the same letter I knew something wasnt quite right the guy even called Im waiting for him to c/b with address for western union (ha)the phone # on Craigslist San Diego is 234-8084537426 from Africa oh by the way his spelling is very poor
Comment by kat on 17 September 2009:

This is going on in the metro DC and Detroit, MI area too. My brother in law (in MI) and my husband (in DC) found very similar ads, both from gentlemen claiming to be on missionary trips in South Africa – “men of God” – who could not find reliable real estate persons to handle their transactions. So it’s everywhere, and it’s recent. The DC posting was just flagged today.
Comment by Fellfo Rittoo on 18 September 2009:

Ahhh I’m so mad! I fell for this too! Now that I know it’s a scam I really wanna email him back and mess with his head a little bit! I’m def going to goto the house he has listed and let the people know they are doing this. YOU SUCK STUPID SCAMMER!!!

Here’s the 2nd email I recieved back…

Hello,
Thanks so much for the mail,and also for the adequate answer to my
question, and i want to inform you that my family and i have talk it
over we have decided to give the house to you, but you have to promise
us that you will take absolutely good care of our home like it was
yours on our behalf OK, however i will like to inform you that you
have no more bills to pay because i already paid for all the utilities
bills before living for Benin,also i will like to inform you that the
keys and documents are down here with us, so do note that the house is
presently locked and there is no way you can have access to the
interior part without having the keys and documents with you OK.

And i will also like to know if the address you provided when filling
out the application is where you want the keys and documents to be
deliver to, however i will also like to know the approximate date you
intend to move in to my house, Meanwhile all necessary arrangement
will made today for the keys and documents to be ship to your
residential home address OK, so before doing all that i will like you
to answer the question below,and also here is my contact number down
here,+2347025935170.

1) Are you ready to move in?

2) Are you ready to make the Security deposit of $550 to secure the
house and also i will have the keys and documents sent to you?

3) How long do intend to live in the house?

4) How soon do you want the keys and document to mail out to you door step?

5) Are you ready to make the payment?

I want you to get back to me with the answer to my question.

Thanks.
Comment by ConsolidateMyDebt on 21 September 2009:

I hate people like this!
Comment by Lu on 21 September 2009:

This has been happening to me! Luckily, my fiance and I refused to send any money. It just sounded like a sketchy situation. We asked if there was a third party that could give us the keys, nope. Emails were sent back and forth; first she wanted first and last months rent of $900 sent to Nigeria. We said no. Then she wanted money for shipping the documents, we told her to send documentation via email. She said that is not possible. Then we told her fedex can charge the recipient to pick up a package. She said okay to the fedex, then asked for a deposit of $500. Nope, we are not sending any money without legal documentation. Then I saw another listed on Craigslist about a house that sounded too good to be true. So I emailed that person. He emailed me back say he is a pastor working in South Africa. The house was originally for sale, but they decided not to sell it. However there is still a for sale sign out. They have the keys in Africa, yada, yada, yada. Send me $800 and I will send you the keys. That is when I got really suspicious and Googled ‘Craigslist Rental Scams’ and found this article. So I just emailed both of them back saying there is no way in hell I am sending any money. And I also attached this article! Ha!
Comment by Marissa on 23 September 2009:

I recently found this awesome deal on craigslist and i thought it was way to good…considering of the location. You cant even get any apartments under 1000$. I replied to the post and the husband contacted me (John Collins) and said Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to hear from you.I am John Collins,the owner of the apartment you are making inquiry of.Actually I resided in the apartment with my family,presently we moved away due to my transfer from my working place,my apartment is Located in 4417 Fairstone Dr, Fairfax, VA 22033 and presently my apartment is still available for rent for $760 per month including the utilities like hydro,washer and security,it is furnished.More so Now, I went for a Crusade in the West Africa and i will like you to get in touch with my wife in the states for more discussion as She is with the keys and the documents to the apartment.Please i want you to note that,i am a kind and honest man and also i spent a lot on my property that i want to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this apartment and want you to treat it as your own,is that taken,I want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up.I do that once in a while.I want have trust in you as i always stand by my words.Where are you located? let us know how soon you are willing to move in.Email my wife Mary, on (mrycoinfo@gmail.com) and she will attend to you better.

Thanks for your interest.
John Collins

So then i emailed his wife Mary:
Thanks for your message. I’m Mary Collins.The apartment will be available for as long as you are willing to rent .My husband and I own the apartment, we both had an accident few months ago, I’m currently disabled and I’m currently on a wheel chair.I had to relocate back to our other house in Texas,USA,that’s why the apartment is vacant.Moreover,are you very clean,kind and easygoing?because my husband and I spent a lot on our property,so we want someone who can take care of the apartment.Kindly let me know as soon as possible because we need someone who is reliable to occupy it. • The apartment has the following features below:

• Central heating
• Large living room with wooden floor and dining room table
• Fireplace
• bedroom with full size bed and TV
• Kitchen with dishwasher
• Bathroom with bath, new washer and dryer
• Separate toilet
• Private entrance and hall
• Desktop PC, Internet connection are included,
• Utilities & Parking included.

Pets acceptable (deposit required) . References needed if possible.So, Hope you are okay with the rent per month get back to me asap because we need a tenant urgently.If you are interested.I want you to remember that I’m in Texas,USA and the keys and documents are here with me, so you will not be able to see inside the apartment, you can only view from the outside. I will send the keys and documents to you via UPS and you will receive it within 48hrs.I will send keys and documents to your present home address you will provide in the application form.Let me know if you are willing to proceed.View the pictures of the apartment in the attached file..Write back so I can send you the rent application.

Hope to read from you soon.
Mary Collins

760 / 1br – GREAT LOCATION SPACIOUS FURNISHED ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT (FAIRFAX,VA)

——————————————————————————–
Date: 2009-09-19, 12:31PM EDT
Reply to: hous-pgbpv-1382257330@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

——————————————————————————–

GREAT LOCATION SPACIOUS FURNISHED ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT
**** FAIRFAX ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT**** EMAIL NOW!!! Beautiful, Spacious, Storage.A MUST LEAVE……..GREAT OFFER…GREAT LOCATION!!!!
Safe, Friendly Neighborhood
Available Now!!!!
$760 a month, plus utilities (Gas & Electric,etc)
1 Bedroom with ample closet space in bedroom and throughout the apt
1 Bathroom, parking space!!
Hardwood floors, Full Eat-In kitchen w/ all appliances, dining area, large living room
Walking distance to, shopping, restaurants, and all major roadways
Laundry in Apartment with Washer/Dryer Included
PETS ALLOWED,NO SMOKING PLEASE

Fortunatly, something seemed shady to me when they wanted me to wire them 500$ for a sec deposit by western union. I flagged them on Craigslist…hopefully no one will fall for their trap.
Comment by Arthur on 28 September 2009:

Hello Everybody,
I was looking for a roommate on craigslist and got a few responses one that was too good to be true. After two days of communicating with the person I decided to google the photo by right clicking to get the photo properties and found that the person had stole the photos from a Realtor in Texas.
Here is what the guy sent me..

Hello there,

I recently glimpse over your listing on Craigslist. Did you still need a home to live in washingtondc? I have a nice 2 story house that is unused and furnished. It’s a roomy 3,600 SQ FT with 4 bedrooms. It’s enclosed in a nice and quiet neighborhood.

The reason why I am renting it is my job relocated me and my family. I wasn’t prepared to move and didn’t get to sell the house. But my job said we would be able to move back in 3 years, so we are just going to keep the house and try to rent it.

Anyways, the house is in terrific shape, built in 2002. It is 2 story and has 4 bedrooms and 4 1/2 restrooms. A game room with a pool table. Classy living room and dining room. Kitchen is roomy, and has all the necessaries appliances. Of course washer and dryer is included. A huge backyard with a patio.

The house will be all yours, but I will come back once or twice a month for a couple of days to take care of the yard and house maintenance. I’m pretty easy going so no worries.

If you like the place, I am just renting for $500 all bills paid. Reason is I will be staying there for a couple days every month. And it is just been vacant for 2 months already, so I’d like someone to just move in asap. If you would like to see pics of the house, let me know.

Looking forward to your email.

I responded and he then sent me this email…

Hey thanks for getting back at me. As promised, here is my photobucket to the house.

http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/mrsportsguy

The only thing is I don’t feel comfortable telling where the house is located, as the house is vacant. I can however, tell you it’s close to a main road, and commute is very convient to most places. I will be able to fly down in a couple weeks and show you the property. In the meantime, I will only do this if I know you are extremely interested and can pay rent every month.

All I am is asking is for a credit report to ensure everything is going to go smooth, and you will pay rent every month. I got a free credit check before at this realtor website.

http://premiumlister.net/credit-report/?mn=6891

Just forward me the score, and if you can leave me your number, I can give you a call when I’m about to fly in if everything looks good.

Hope to talk to you soon.

I did not put my information on that sight because I get my credit report pulled every month through my credit card but the site is probably set up to still your identity. I also as I said found the photos from his photobucket on this website
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/11403-Bogan-Flats_Houston_TX_77095_1107003609?source=web#request

Be safe out there everyone!
Comment by DF on 28 September 2009:

What a scam!! Thank you all for sharing your experiences. There is a scam going on in Sterling, Virginia for exactly the same scenario. I will keep playing with him but will not give any information about myself or money. I want to see how far this guy will go before I confront him. I visited the house he advertised this evening and low and behold, there is someone living there! It’s not vacant as he portrayed in his e-mail! I will talk to the owner to make sure they are aware that there is a scam going on with their house. After doing my research, it turns out that the name listed as the owners in the county records is NOT the same as the person I’m dealing with. Here’s what he wrote down as a response to my query:

BEGIN QUOTE

Hi,

I did take your response concerning the advert, I posted on Craigslist. The house is still available, but presently I’m not around.. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa, and fortunately I won the bidding, so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to bid again for it in the next 10 years. I came over here with my wife, we both bought the house when we got married. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house, so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that. She said we may not be able to win the bidding next time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advice. So I contacted the agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have given the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discover that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the space. However, I just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if you believe you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours, then I will be more than happy to let you rent the house.

Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name__________________________________________________ Home Phone ( ) ________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( ) ___________________
Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( ) ____________________________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
Move In Date____________________________

P.S: YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VIEW THE INTERIOR PART OF THE HOUSE BECAUSE I HAVE THE KEYS HERE WITH ME.

House Address
68 Rutherford Cir Sterling, VA 20165

Best Regards
Fred Bucher
+234-802-953-1391
011-234-802-953-1391

END QUOTE

Amazingly enough, the house was listed on craigslist in the morning of 9/27/09 and was removed the evening of the same day. Here’s the link posted:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/apa/1394976907.html

Be wary of those too good to be true scenarios. If it’s too good to be true, listen to your gut feeling because it is!
Comment by Erin on 13 October 2009:

Just got this one also… good thing we researched it.

Hi,

I did get your response concerning the AD I posted on craigslist. The house is still available but presently I’m not around.. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately I won the bidding so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to rebid for it in the next 10 years. I came over here with my wife, we both built the house when we got married. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that… She said we may not be able to win the bidding next time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise. So I contacted the agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have give the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discovered that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the space. But I just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if you belief you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than happy to let you rent the house.

House Address:27330 Albion Court Temecula, CA 92591
First Month Rent:1000
Refundable Security Deposit Payment:$1000

Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name__________________________________________________ Home Phone ( ) ________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( ) ___________________
Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( ) ____________________________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
How many people will be living
in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
Move In Date____________________________
HOW SOON CAN YOU HAVE THE DEPOSIT PAYMENT SENT TO ME___________________________
HOW SOON DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THE KEYS AND DOCUMENTS OF THE HOUSE___________________________
You could give me a call as soon as possible so we could proceed asap..

Please note than you will only be able to drive by the house for now but not have a look at the interior until i have sent the keys and documents of the house to you..and the requirement for getting the keys and documents of the house is a fully refundable payment of $1000 USD,which is the security deposit.

Please note that the deposit made is fully refundable should in case you finally gain entrance into the house after receiving the keys and documents and feel unsatisfied or uncomfortable with the interior,but i am giving you a benefit of doubt that you will love everything about this lovely home..

You could contact me asap.
(+234-802-859-3562 OR 011-234-802-859-3562)

I Await your response so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you.

Best Regards
Hanh Nguyen.
Pingback by The Craigslist Rental Scam takes America | Doug Francis | Real estate and homes for sale in Vienna, McLean and Oakton, Virginia | Living in Fairfax and Arlington County | Local blog, MLS listings search, community information on 22 October 2009:

[...] reading her post, I did some research and found “The Real Estate Bloggers” site which also had an interesting FBI alert on the topic of Craigslist scammers. There were [...]
Comment by Tony on 27 October 2009:

I am trying to rent out a room and posted an ad in Craigslist. I received 2 responses for more information. At first everything seems to be good, then I get 2 email replies back that states almost the exact same details (some humanitarian worker, age 27, working with kids 7-8 yrs old, wants business address to send payment to, etc.

Just wondering how they are scamming when they are posing as a potential renter trying to send payment to reserve the room?

Here is one of the emails:

Thanks for the response to my introductory mail; I really do appreciate the breakdown details of the room. I’ll be so glad if you can reserve the room for me as I’ll love to rent the place. I am a humanitarian officer involved in projects that includes orphans, orphanages, heart related diseases in children between the ages of 7-8yrs.I will be staying for a minimum of 4 – 5months.

Am 27 years old from Belarus, I don’t drink nor smoke but I’m cool living with people that do, no pets and no boyfriend because I am a very busy woman. I like honest,responsible,trustworthy and hardworking people while I dislike lazy,messy,uncaring people and I love pets so much, I’m quiet and easy going type of person to live with. I always love to go on date but seldom party. I swim for fun and sometimes play tennis.

I like the job because we are working in collaboration with the World Health Organization,hospital,health centers,medical and other health related institutions, it also involves travelling which is one of my hobbies, I must confess I’m comfortable with the cost of the room and it’s quite reasonable and affordable. I will like to make the payment for the first month ahead of my arrival, and then I will make subsequent payment thereafter as I plan to stay for more than 4months,I’ve told my boss about this and he promised to make sure that he will meet up with the payment so that I can depart from here as scheduled. He also said I will have the advantage to make payment for deposit .I should arrive to the United States on before 2nd of November…..So please keep room for me till my arrival. He also said my mode of payment will be the most acceptable, easier, safer and reliable means of payment which is United State Certified money order so please let me know if this mode of payment is ok by you.
If YES please provide me with the following information to get the payment to you. Your full name as it will appear on the payment, your work place address to ensure delivery in your hands through regular mails or a courier service, your phone number on the package to avoid package missing in transit. I will prefer to send to your work address because you will always be available at work from morning till evening but if home address it will be sitting in your mail and no one will be at home to receive the package and if you don’t receive package at your office address then I guess your home address will be good for the delivery right? But to avoid any delay of you receiving at home then I guess work address will be fine what do you think ? Kindly get back to me with this requested address contact information so that we can precede bye for now…….Jessica.
Comment by Jackson on 28 October 2009:

I received this response when I sent an email regarding a rental property. I was skeptical because I had seen this house listed for $1500 on a realtors website and it was now listed on craigslist for $900. People be careful cause these scammers are getting real creative. Word to the wise if you have never met the person or seen the inside of the property don’t send money.

Hello

Thanks for your response regarding your interest in having my house for rent.The house is much available for now and it a 4 bedroom home..I want you to know that i am the owner of this building situated at 844 Canter Drive.But i am now presently in West Africa for my Hospitals Project prayer crusade with my wife and we have the keys right here with us.I will like to inform you that it was due to my transfer that makes us to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own..So for now,We are here in West Africa,NIGERIA our new house and also with the keys of the house,we are trying to look for an agent that we can give this document before we left but could not see and we are as well as don’t want our house to be used any how in our absent that is why we took it along with us here.We are only willing to give the house out to a lovely and caring family only, so if you know you cannot give the house the neatness it deserves please don’t contact me.But if you promise to always take good care of the house,get back to me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in renting a home.Hope you are okay with the monthly price of $900 with hydro,heat laundry facilities,air-condition Etc.I am looking forward to hear from you ASAP,Our house number is +234-802-859-3562 OR 011-234-802-859-3562, below is the application form for you to fill and discuss on how to get the house for rent..

Kindly confirm your interest by filling the form below:

TENANT RENT APPLICATION
FIRST NAME: __________________
MIDDLE NAME: __________________
LAST NAME: __________________
PROFESSION: ________________
PHONE (____) __________ (CELL)
PHONE (____) __________ (WORK)
PHONE (____) __________ (HOME)
MARITAL STATUS: _________
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
Home ADDRESS: ___________________________
CITY: _______________
STATE: ______________
ZIP CODE: ____________
HOW LONG? ___________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING? _______________________________________________________________________
CURRENT RENT: _______
IF THIS House IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING? ____________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN? ______________

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you,please we are giving you all this base on t r ust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that,we do not see yet and only putting everything into Gods hand,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this.

Regards.
Comment by Jesse on 3 November 2009:

I just corresponded with a guy today. luckily, my mother is a realtor and told me about the scam when i called to ask her about the neighborhood. this is the second letter i got.

Thanks very much for your reply and also i can see your willingness in this rent and how is work?Hope great!!! So as i shall be giving you my house,pals again take care of the house so that i might be glad when coming at the end of January 2010 to visit you.However if you are ready to rent the house now,then that will not be a problem but we will advice you due to a responsible person like you, to be able to afford the (first month rent 650 security deposit which is 500) and also we would like to send the following document to you via the FEDEX to the address you send to me and the tracking number will be sent to you so that you can possible occupy our house,Please once again,I am giving you this on trust and do not disappoint me and i promise you that,you will love the house.So i am with the below document here with me and i will like to know whether you are ready for the payment of this first month be coming by month end to check on you so that i can know how you take care of my house for us and if it is okay by me, Note All utililies included okay..

Here are the contents of the document.

1) Entrance and the rooms Keys
2)Paper/Permanent house form(Containing your reference details)
3)The house documentary file..
4)Payment Receipt……..
5)Full address and description of the house.
So pals get back to me today so that i can give you the Information
the payment will be send to. I await your reply ASAP.

Regard and God bless you!!!
Comment by Steve N on 4 November 2009:

kennie0001@googlemail.com emailed me also. Beware, this guy is fake. What a loser.
Comment by Michael on 5 November 2009:

THANK YOU GUYS YOU RESCUE ME!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the email and the application form you sent to us, I just
want you to know that you have been accepted as our new tenant.. so we
want you to take very good care of the property while you move in, we
are renting out the property to you base on trust and your words, so
please keep it and we can understand how serious you are renting our
property, please promise to take very good care of our house and abide
with the rules while you move in, The utilities are all included the
rent.

But you are advice to pay the first month rent of $1,100 and the
security deposit of $600 to move in, which the sum total of $1,700.

Please once again, We are giving you this on trust and do not
disappoint me and my husband .
Here are the contents of the documents of the house that will be
shipped to you with the keys via UPS courier service upon payment
confirmation to the address you have provided while filling out the
application, and you will receive the package in just 24hours after
payment

1) Entrance and the rooms Keys
2)Paper/Permanent house form(Containing your reference details)
3)The house documentary file..
4)Payment Receipt.
5)Full address and driving direction/description of the house..

Below is the information you will use in sending the money,the money
should be sent Via Western Union Money Transfer ..You can do that at
any grocery store close to you.

HERE IS THE PAYMENT INFORMATION
RECEIVER’S NAME: ROBERTA ESTANISLAO
RECEIVER’S ADDRESS: 10 FRANKS AVE
CITY: IKOTUN
STATE: LAGOS.
COUNTRY :NIGERIA
ZIP CODE: 23401

Get back to me with the following details as soon as the payment
is made so that i can commence with the shipment.
SENDER’S NAME:
SENDER’S ADDRESS:
AMOUNT SENT:
MTCN#:
I will await your reply.

Remain blessed.
Regards.
Comment by Jenny on 13 November 2009:

I just started e-mailing with these people today about an apartment in Beverly Hills, CA. I decided it seemed too good to be true and it was. Here’s the email he sent me today:

Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to hear from you.I am John
Collins,the owner of the apartment you are making inquiry of.Actually
I resided in the apartment with my family,presently we moved away due
to my transfer from my working place,my apartment is Located in 136 N.
Hamilton Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90211 and presently my apartment is
still available for rent for $500 per month including the utilities
like hydro,washer and security,it is furnished.More so Now, I went for
a Crusade in the West Africa and i will like you to get in touch with
my wife in the states for more discussion as She is with the keys and
the documents to the apartment.Please i want you to note that,i am a
kind and honest man and also i spent a lot on my property that i want
to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance
of this apartment and want you to treat it as your own,is that taken,I
want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see
it neat when i come for a check up.I do that once in a while.I want
have trust in you as i always stand by my words.Where are you located?
let us know how soon you are willing to move in.Email my wife Mary, on
(mrycoinforentals@gmail.com) and she will attend to you better.

Thanks for your interest.
John Collins
Comment by Jess on 13 November 2009:

I emailed the listed address before Craigslist had a chance to remove it. HERE is the SCAM email I received:

“The House Is a Large 3 Bedroom 2 bath home. Which My wife and I occupied before leaving for Nigeria.We left on a self Mission following God’s Call to Preach the Word and Let people of all Nations Hear About Him. My wife and I thought of ourselves and asked God what we would Give him and He says we should sacrifice our life and give him the best we can,letting humans know about him. The bible account of Luke 12: 29-31, Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious. For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you. We decided to do the missionary work.

“So as you know where the house is located at ———Annapolis, MD. Which my family and I have spent so much time and money to maintain it up till its standard. We have been trying our best to make the house as clean as possible, because am a clean person and we don’t like dirt around our surroundings and also the Bible says cleanliness is next to Godliness.

“So we are looking for a well-behaved, clean and honest tenant to rent out our house too. So we will like you to give us your word and promise us that you will take good care of our house so that we will be happy when we come to visit you in the future.. We would like to work any felixible plan you have on your term of renting,Long or short term or month by month.While we were leaving,we took along with us the keys just to view the Land if it would be favourable for God’s Work,on getting down here we decided to stay and Go On preaching the Good News.The Home was Formally FOR SALE but we have decided not to sell anymore so we would lay our head when we do come back to rest.Prior to our arriving back we shall be giving a 90 day notice to you if we finanly decide to rent to you.We shall be staying for upwards of five years here doing God’s Work.So kindly Get back to us with the application for below.”

RENT APPLICATION FORM

FIRST NAME:__________________
MIDDLE NAME: _________________
LAST NAME: __________________
PROFESSION: ________________
(CELL)PHONE () __________
(CELL)PHONE () _____________________
(WORK)PHONE () __________
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
PRESENT ADDRESS: _____________________
CITY: _______________
STATE: ______________
ZIPCODE: _______________ HOW LONG? ______________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?
IF THIS Home IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING? _______________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN? ______________
IF YOU HAVE A PET,
NAME OF PET: _____________
KIND OF PETS: _____________
HABITS
DO YOU SMOKE? ___________
DO YOU DRINK? ______________
DO YOU WORK LATE NIGHT? ____

“Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you,please we are giving you all this base on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that,we do not see yet and only putting everything into Gods hand,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this.Looking forward to hear from you.”

“Remain Blessed”
“Note: the Rent is $650 and security deposit is $500″
Comment by Mary on 20 November 2009:

http://killeen.craigslist.org/apa/1474341211.html

There is one of the scams
Comment by Darren Haynes on 21 November 2009:

This is a pretty clever scam! I am usually alert with these scams and I am real suprised that it required me a few back and fore e-mails with these scammers and reaching this website before I discovered this is scam. Thank you for this blog!!!!!!!!!!
Pingback by Girl, Get Me Started! » Truly Blessed or Plain “Dumb” Luck? on 23 November 2009:

[...] was the dupe in an apt scam being run out of Nigeria, apparently where lots of scams are run out of these days. Who knew? A couple tells you they need [...]
Comment by Rose on 24 November 2009:

I posted a house for rent on Craiglist in Houston, Texas, and was surprised to find my same ad listed on Craigslist for $300 less than what I was asking! So I emailed the scammer and he replied:
“Thanks for your email and interest in renting my house..I am Ben Hodous.the owner of the house you are making enquiry of…Actually I resided in the house with my family, my wife and my only daughter before and presently we have moved out due to my transfer from my work now in Warsaw,Poland. Presently my house is still available for rent for $750 USD…Deposit is $450 USD (rent already includes utilities).Moreso Now, i’m currently in (West Africa) Benin, Nigeria for an international Christian follower’s crusade.

Pls i want you to note that,we are a kind, honest and trustworthy family and also I spent a lot on my property that i want to give to you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this house and want you to treat it as your own, It is not the money that is the main problem but i want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up……….I also want you to let me have trust in you as i always stand on my word.

It has a Lovely home in a nice neighbourhood,is known for excellent schools… Conveniently located with nearby shopping centers, hospitals, free ways and public transportation. This is a must see. Amenities W/D Hookups Central Heat & A/C Granite Tiled Fireplace Ceiling Fans Vaulted Ceilings Cable Available Broadband Available Custom Drapes in Living Room, Dining Room, & Master Bedroom Blinds.

SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE RENT APPLICATION FORM BELOW.
FIRST NAME:__________?
MIDDLE NAME:__________?
LAST NAME:__________?
PROFESSION:__________?
PHONE:
(CELL)PHONE__________?
(WORK)PHONE__________?
(HOME)PHONE__________?
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
PRESENT ADDRESS: _____________________
CITY: _______________
STATE:______________
ZIP CODE: ____________
HOW LONG? ___________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING__________?
IF THIS HOUSE IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING? ____________?
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN? ______________?
IF YOU HAVE A PET,
NAME OF PET: _____________?
KIND OF PETS: _____________?
HABITS
DO YOU SMOKE ______________ ?
DO YOU DRINK ______________?
DO YOU WORK LATE NIGHT? ____?

Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you…Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you,please we are giving you all this based on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that we have not seen yet and only putting everything into Gods hands,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this…I can be reach on this number’s +234-703-331-8948 OR 001234-703-331-8948. Ben Hodous.
Comment by Rachel on 25 November 2009:

Wow, these people are horrible and need to be stopped. Looks like this is happening in SC too. I searched the guys name “White Lee” in the online property records and he doesnt own the home. Then I googled the street address and came up with the real realtor who I contacted and let know that this listing was on craigslist. He said its happened before and it’s really frustrating. Heres my email from “White Lee”:
Hi,
I did get your response concerning the AD I posted on craigslist. The house is still available but presently I’m not around.. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately I won the bidding so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to rebid for it in the next 10 years. I came over here with my wife, we both bought the house when we got married. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that.. She said we may not be able to win the bidding next time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise.. So I contacted the agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have give the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discovered that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the space. But I just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if you belief you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than happy to let you rent the house.
Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name__________________________________________________ Home Phone ( )________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( )___________________
Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( )____________________________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
Move In Date____________________________

TAKE NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE BY AND SEE MY HOUSE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RENTING GET THE APPLICATION FORM FILLED OUT AND SEND IT BACK TO ME SO THAT I CAN SHIP MY KEYS TO YOU FOR YOU BE ABLE TO GO AND LOOK AT THE INSIDE OR MOVE IN IMMEDIATELY. I WOULD HAVE REALLY LOVE TO SHIP THE KEYS TO
SOMEONE IN STATE BUT I DON’T HAVE ANYBODY THERE RIGHT NOW AND I DON’T WANT TO MAKE USE OF ANY THIRD PARTY THAT IS WHY AM HANDLING MY PROPERTY MYSELF..

House Address
69 Kendall Drive,
Bluffton SC 29910

Monthly Fee: $900
Security Deposit: $900
Pets Allowed:
Available :Available Now for move in.

So pls get back to me today.
I await your reply ASAP.
Regard and God bless you!!!
White Lee
+234-704-153-5393
011-234-704-153-5393
Comment by jenhansoniowa on 2 December 2009:

If you are contacted – please let the insurance company in the UK know.

Yoko Burns

NLI International Plc

20 Little Britain

London EC1A 7DH

UK

Direct Tel: +44(0)20 7507 6013

Fax: +44(0)20 7726 0190

E-mail: yoko_burns@nissay.co.uk

From: G COLE coolball805@googlemail.com

–
i am interested in your rent,pls let me know if its available

——————————————————————————–

From: GIDIOEN COLE 4u4me1234@googlemail.com

Hello,

With regards to the property I am inquiring about, I will like to get some more details about it, I am currently in the Uk and am Relocating down to the USA to see the best place to setup a new branch for my company ( Nippon Life Insurance London 20 Little Britain London EC1A 7DH, U.K. ), as we are about to open a branch office in the state, so due to my non presence to inspect the Property, I will like you to provide me the following details,

# I need full details including address of the property and pictures if available for the place.

# Monthly rentals/security deposits.

# If utilities is added to monthly rent.

# When the property would be available.

# Mail me how much is due at lease signing.

I await your response soon.

Thanks

Hello,
Thanks for the details on the Property, I am satisfied and will like to go ahead with the renting process, I will like you to go ahead and reserve the property for me.

So I will be needing the following information’s so that the check payment for $5100 can be processed and posted to you soon.

Name:…………
Address:………….
Phone number(cell and land):…………

I want the 12 month lease to start on the 5th December 2009, I also want to notify you that I have in the mean time arrange with an interior decorator (Agent) who will be handling the purchase of furniture’s, entertainment system and other appliances that will be needed in the property, they will as well be in charge of moving down my luggage’s down to the states. So the check for $7,500 will be sent over to you which is a relocation grant by my employer.All you need do is to deduct the deposit of $5100 and forward the difference to my Decorators so I can have the place prepared before my arrival. All applications and lease will be signed as soon as I arrive.

Also for familiarization I Am Gideon Cole, I am 55 yrs of age, a British citizen, married to a lovely lady, with a daughter (Family staying over in the UK), I work with ( Nippon Life Insurance London 20 Little Britain London EC1A 7DH, U.K. E), as a loss adjuster agent, I am a Christian, reserved in Nature, Non smoker also i don’t keep pets.

I look forward to meeting you and hope to have a good relationship as a tenant with you.

I await the details.
you can reach my at this number 01144702 409 9779 01144702 405 6620 01144 70457 29267
Below is my present landlords information for reference :

Dr.Joseph Williams.
4 Dorville Crescent. London W6 0HJ
UNITED KINGDOM
EMAIL: josephwilliams2xxp@live.com

Regards.
Comment by Angie on 3 December 2009:

And yet another!!! Please do not fall for the scams!

Hi,
I did get your response concerning the AD I posted on craigslist. The house is still available but presently I’m not around.. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately I won the bidding so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to rebid for it in the next 10 years. I came over here with my wife, we both bought the house when we got married. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that. She said we may not be able to win the bidding next time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise. So I contacted the agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have give the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discovered that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the space. But I just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if you belief you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than happy to let you rent the house.
Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name__________________________________________________ Home Phone ( ) ________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( ) ___________________
Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( ) ____________________________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
Move In Date____________________________

TAKE NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE BY AND SEE MY HOUSE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RENTING GET THE APPLICATION FORM FILLED OUT AND SEND IT BACK TO ME SO THAT I CAN SHIP MY KEYS TO YOU FOR YOU BE ABLE TO GO AND LOOK AT THE INSIDE OR MOVE IN IMMEDIATELY. I WOULD HAVE REALLY LOVE TO SHIP THE KEYS TO SOMEONE IN STATE BUT I DON’T HAVE ANYBODY THERE RIGHT NOW AND I DON’T WANT TO MAKE USE OF ANY THIRD PARTY THAT IS WHY AM HANDLING MY PROPERTY MYSELF..

House Address
120 Summer Trace Dr,
Summerville SC 29485

Monthly Fee ; $1000
Security Deposit: $1000
Pets Allowed:
Available :Available Now for move in.

So pls get back to me today.
I await your reply ASAP.
Regard and God bless you!!!
Murphy Angela A
+234-704-153-5393
011-234-704-153-5393
Comment by Jackie on 6 December 2009:

Just ran into this scam on craigslist for Charleston South Carolina PostingID: 1493368753

I replied and received an email back just like it was stated!

His soposed information:

Johnson Robert
> +234-704-153-5393
> 011-234-704-153-5393
Comment by Maria on 8 December 2009:

Just received a “scam” for someone wanting to rent my home…DO NOT FALL FOR THIS!
1st Notice:
Good Day,

I saw your apartment advertised on a classified advert on the
craigslist.com and i want to rent it for my family,please let me know
if it is still available for rent and the modalities for renting it.I
will be arriving by the 4th week of this month with my wife and my
ten years old daughter and i will be signing 1 year lease for this
unit.We intend to move in by 1st of January next month.Are you the
owner of the apartment?I will need you to provide with the following
information below;

1- Security deposit fee ?
2- Monthly rent fees ?
3- Electricity and Utilities if applicable ?
4- Total cost of rent and deposit fee?
5-what percentage is your broker fee?
I will await a quick response to my inquiry via email.Thank you and God bless.

MR ALLEN SMITH,
NUFFIELD HOSPITAL,
HOUSE 1-4 CRESCENT SURBITON
SURREY KT6 4BN LONDON
CELL NO: +447035933024

2nd Notice goes like this!

On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 2:48 PM, alensmith003 wrote:

Hello,

Am in the middle to sending the payment for the security deposit
to you to Secure the Unit prior to my arrival to state..The Payment
will cover the Security deposit fees and the Remnant of my befitting
Furniture which I’ve partly booked with a Furniture stores there in
USA…
I’ll send the check payment… UPS will deliver the payment to your
door-step. Upon receipt of the check payment, you’ll deduct the
Security deposit fees duly to you and you’ll send the remaining funds
to My Furniture company there in united state so that they can deliver
my befitting furniture to the unit prior to my arrival to
state..Please they’ll have to book an
appointment with you for the delivery. You’ll have to do a Favor for
my by inspecting and monitoring the of my furniture on a specify date
and time given to you the by Furniture’s company.
Note…..you will not be responsible for any liability whether
anything is damaged because the furniture company are very reliable
and competent and they will handle everything with care so you don’t
have any problem at all….Is this the correct address to send the
payment to ????

We will really appreciate if you can do this for us and promise to
compensate you adequately for your time and efforts on arrival in
your place.ease let me know if this will be okay with you so that i
can instruct our Trustee to go ahead with the payment.I wait to read
from you if i should go ahead,
Thanks and God bless.

Allen Smith.
Comment by Maria on 8 December 2009:

Do not let people fool you saying that work at Nuffield Hospital in London. This is TRULY a SCAM attempt!
Comment by brian on 10 December 2009:

I am trying to rent my property by using an ad on craigslist. I seem to be getting bombarded by scammers wanting to rent from me.They email me back saying they are getting ready to come america and need a place to stay. they are coming from places like united kingdom,cyprus,west africa,ontario canada, tennessee, and connecticut. but I am in ohio, and these are the only responses I am getting.their paragraphs are all structured the same but the details are slightly different. 2 different people used the exact same term”Im highly interested”,what are the odds? I just cant figure out how they could ever get my money if they don’t come get it. But then i’ll have to kick their ass.They are also asking for my exact name and address where to send the money in advance, and the woman is attractive she sent pictures! I just waiting for the story to change somehow, like” i am stuck somewhere, and I need money to get there” what in the world am i dealing with here.
Comment by David Rangel on 10 December 2009:

This is a scam that preys on the naive. Don’t fall for it. Basically, it boils down to them sending you a seemingly legitamate cashier’s check for much more than you asked for. If your rental is for $1,000 a month plus deposit, etc. Theu will send you a cashier’s check for 3 or more times that. They ask you to deposit it in your account and then send them back $500 and keep the rest as a “thank you bonus”. You are thinking…”wow a cashier’s check.. it has to be good. Of course, the check is a very good forgery. It bounces and your bank now takes that bounced amount out of your account. No recourse for you except for the crying. It happens more often than you think.
Comment by destroyah on 15 December 2009:

I’m going to see if i can get into contact with the real property owners and warn them…

Hello

Thanks for your response regarding your interest in having my house for rent.The house is much available for now and it a 4 bedroom home..I want you to know that i am the owner of this building situated at 10 Avalon Ct Bethesda, MD 20816.But i am now presently in West Africa for my Hospitals Project prayer crusade with my wife and we have the keys right here with us.I will like to inform you that it was due to my transfer that makes us to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own..So for now,We are here in West Africa,NIGERIA our new house and also with the keys of the house,we are trying to look for an agent that we can give this document before we left but could not see and we are as well as don’t want our house to be used any how in our absent that is why we took it along with us here..We are only willing to give the house out to a lovely and caring family only, so if you know you cannot give the house the neatness it deserves please don’t contact me.But if you promise to always take good care of the house,get back to me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in renting a home.Hope you are okay with the monthly price of $1000 with hydro,heat laundry facilities,air-condition Etc.I am looking forward to hear from you ASAP,Our house number is+234-802-859-3562 OR 011-234-802-859-3562, below is the application form for you to fill and discuss on how to get the house for rent..

Kindly confirm your interest by filling the form below:

TENANT RENT APPLICATION
FIRST NAME: __________________
MIDDLE NAME: __________________
LAST NAME: __________________
PROFESSION: ________________
PHONE (____) __________ (CELL)
PHONE (____) __________ (WORK)
PHONE (____) __________ (HOME)
MARITAL STATUS: _________
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
Home ADDRESS: ___________________________
CITY: _______________
STATE: ______________
ZIP CODE: ____________
HOW LONG? ___________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING? _______________________________________________________________________
CURRENT RENT: _______
IF THIS House IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING? ____________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN? ______________

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you,please we are giving you all this base on t r ust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that,we do not see yet and only putting everything into Gods hand,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this.
Regards…

LEE EUN SEOCK..
Comment by ana melendez on 16 December 2009:

hey Everyone! i just responded to a rental property ad just like the ones everyone has posted. i thought it would be funny to play around with them. i knew it was a scam from the beginning. my sister works at the bank here in wisconsin as a universal banker and always sends me beward ads from all over. dont feel stupid if you gave out information. if happens to all of us. i thought it was funny to mess with them because they got so mad!!! i made fun of the way they wrote stuff and made awful comments to them. I also contacted our local contact 6 news. anyways- good luck everyone and always be cautious! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Comment by Candace on 17 December 2009:

I kinda knew this didnt sound right and this website just confirmed it! Think ill email back and forth with the guy to see what he says anyway.

Hello,

Thanks for making inquiry about my house for rent. I am Chris Schmalz, am the owner of the house. I left USA with my Family due to that, I was transferred to West Africa to supervise a spread the message and not the virus project, organized by an individual. So since then I reside in one of the West African country ( Nigeria ) and I will be staying here for a very long time because we move from one state to another and we were told that there is 36 states in this country.

The people in this country don’t know what HIV/AIDS is, and they still needs to be enlightened on what HIV/AIDS is all about and the project has grown more than imagination.

The people here are appreciative and understanding, they really appreciate what we are doing and we have support from the state Governors and the ministers even from some individuals which are highly recognized in the society.
Thanks once again for making inquiry about my house for rent, I will be renting out my house to you and you know we have not seen each other yet so am doing this on trust and I will want you to stand on your words like I will always do and I will solicit for your absolute maintenance of the house and I will also want you to know that am not renting out my house for money making purpose, all I wanted is a person that will take good care of my house for me that is why it is so cheap.

My house is up for: $500
The deposit is: $400
My house will be available for like 6 to 10 years
Here Is my House Address: 3252 Pipe Line Rd, Birmingham, AL
Available Date: Available now.

So if you are really interested in my house for rent I will want you to go and view the exterior part of the house first and get back to fill the RENTAL APPLICATION FORM bellow.
RENT APPLICATION FORM

(1) WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME?
(2) YOUR MOBILE PHONE NUMBER?
(3) YOUR CURRENT ADDRESS?
(4) HOW OLD ARE YOU?
(5) ARE YOU MARRIED?
(6) HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE STAYING IN THE HOUSE?
(7) WHY ARE YOU LEAVING YOUR PRESENT HOUSE?
(8) WHAT DO YOU DO FOR LIVING?
(9) HOW SOON DO YOU WANT TO MOVE IN?

As soon as you have fill out the rentals application form send it back to and one more thing I will want you to promise me that you will take good care of the house for me.

I await your response so as to tell you the next thing.

Thanks and God bless.
Comment by Deb on 23 December 2009:

I have this scammer (the one claiming to be in West Africa) on the hook, so to speak. I knew right away it was a scam, but have been sending benign replies to keep him going. Just got an email from him 5 minutes ago. Aside from messing with his head, not sure what to do with him. Any suggestions???
Comment by Lin on 26 December 2009:

Same thing happened to me……

“It’s my sincere pleasure to write you and to let you know the house you are making inquiry about is still available. How are you doing? Security deposit of $800 is required before move in date. Well trained pet is allowed. l own the house you wish to rent, am currently in West Africa on a charity program which will last 3yrs, and am in search of a capable tenant who will treat and respect my house with utmost care, l have other applicant who are interested in my house. Am a busy man due to the nature of my work.

My intention was to sale the house, so l listed the property with realtor agent, but my wife advice me not to sale it again, and l’ve asked the agent to remove the sign board in front of the house, and send the keys/paperworks of my house to me in my current location.

Take note: You can only drive by and see my house from the outside and if you’re interested in renting it, l do wish to use third party, for this reason am handling the property myself. Happy Holiday!!!

Best Wishes”

Thank God we found out it was a scam before we sent the money
Comment by al on 4 January 2010:

Hi

I got your mail in regards to my apartment for rent,so what really happened is this,Am not given my apartment for rent just because of money but due to my transfer to west Africa.Am an X-RAY WELDER UNDER SHIP BUILDING, But have just been transfered to Niger dock Nigeria plc,you can view the site at http://WWW.NIGERDOCK.COM. I left country with hope that i will be coming back in a month’s time,but right now the company have ask me to stay for 2yrs under contract with them,that is why i have made up my mind to put up my apartment for rent ,but i will like you to keep the apartment for me well okay just like yours.ok,and i want to let you know that the apartment its available For rent anytime,and you can easily go there and check it,but the problem it’s that you will not be able to check inside of the apartment,so through the address you will provide for me i will used to send you the key and the document to you through DHL COURIER SERVICE and It will be home delivery, and i appreciate your expression,and the apartment include cable /internet access,Furnished, Central Air Conditioning, Laundry, Garbage Chute, Pets OK, cleaning service, dry cleaning,Heating, Electricity,etc and everything its already been furnished,

And here is the application form below that you must answer to qualify for the rent of my apartment,And i want you to know that am giving this apartment for rent base on trust and due to the way i read reply to my apartment,Hope you have a nice working day In fact i will like to meet you when coming to visit you soonest. Also,Pls let me get this answer.And you can call me on my cell +2348029569995..

RENT APPLICATION FORM 1)Your Full Name 2)Your Full Address & Phone Number 3)How old are you?
4)Are you married?
5)How many people will be living in the house?
6)Do you have a pet?
7)Do you have a car?
8)Occupation?
9)How long Do you intend to stay?

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you,and dog is allowed ,Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you,please we are giving you all this base on trust.

Thanks and God Bless you

Hope to hear from you back
Comment by Rhonda on 4 January 2010:

The guy contacts me with this and I actually go to see the house and find that it is an empty lot!!!! I am glad that I did not send them any info or money…Thieves!!!

This was his response to my initial email…
Thanks for the email. Yes the House is still available and will only be given out to the right person that will take very good care of the place and the facilities. and other necessary facilities. I and my wife decided to give out the house as a result of my transfer to West Africa (Nigeria)

I will be giving out the house for $800 with a security deposit of $800. I need to inform you as well that money is not the major reason why I am renting it out but want someone who can take care of it as if he/she owns it. So let me know as soon as possible if you can take good care of it, so that we can discuss the rent further. Pets are allowed. Here is the address of the house, (403 Farm House Lane Durham, NC 27703)

We initially wanted to sale the house but we changed our minds and decided to rent it out because the economy is bad and it has also affected the housing market. We might decide to sale in the future but for now we are just renting it out .If you are interested you can go by and view it but you will not be able to go inside cause the keys are here with me and my wife in Nigeria.Hope to hear from you soon.

Stephenson
+2347088648593
Comment by Craiglist on 6 January 2010:

There are hundreds of scams being created every day. If you want to learn about many more scams at Craigslist check out http://www.howtobeatcraigslist.uni.cc and really learn what’s going on.
Comment by Markter on 10 January 2010:

Man this shit is real! Me an my girl been talkin to this guy that “had to move to Africa for a oil bid he won” emailed him an we couldn’t pay first moth rent till later he said ok mail me the deposit and I’ll mail the keys and send the rest of the money when u move in.. I looked it up an the FBI has posted saying a scam is out and metioned the exact words as the man told us. He even called us! They are using a property in orangevale ca, on palamaya Ln. On craigslist, what they do is copy pics an post for rent u send deposit an never hear anything back.. They even gave us some security question to use at the bank. They say go to wal mart or western union.. Anyway, hope Boone gets caught up in this shit luckily we aren’t stupid enough to send them money with no proof of us getting anything.. Check out The FBI post
Comment by Markter on 10 January 2010:

This is true. SACRAMENTO CA, we ar trying to move our son out of my parents house ( jus found out my dads been on drugs for 24 years) an these m”@&$r f$&kers act like they wanna help.. Luckily I’m a lil smarter then that an their was no way In hell were sending money without proof were getting stuff in return, so this foo emails back, saying they have a security question for us to use now an sht like that.. It’s on craigslist 700/month 2 story house in gated community orangevale, palamya Ln. They say they want a good fam, not worried bout money.. E mail em if u don’t believe me! I just can’t believe people can do this to people struggling an really tryin to make in.. If we would have sent money we would have been done for good….
Comment by Jennifer on 10 January 2010:

I received the SAME exact email as destroyah did…see below….

Hi,
I did get your response concerning the AD I posted on craigslist. The house is still available but presently I’m not around.. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately I won the bidding so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to rebid for it in the next 10 years. I came over here with my wife, we both bought the house when we got married. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that. She said we may not be able to win the bidding next time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise. So I contacted the agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have give the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discovered that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the space. But I just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if you belief you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than happy to let you rent the house.Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name Jennifer Fulton ________________________

Home Phone ( 843)
296.2800________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( ) ___________________
Current Address

________Apt#________ City__________________
State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving- Selling our home

Rent $__________Phone ( )
____________________________
Are you married______yes______________________
How many people will be living in the house_____4_______________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet___________1_older dog________________
Do you have a car________yes____________________
Occupation___________Manager_________________
Move In Date__End of month or sooner___________________

TAKE NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE BY AND SEE MY HOUSE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RENTING GET THE APPLICATION FORM FILLED OUT AND SEND IT BACK TO ME SO THAT I CAN SHIP MY KEYS TO YOU FOR YOU BE ABLE TO GO AND LOOK AT THE INSIDE OR MOVE IN IMMEDIATELY. I WOULD HAVE REALLY LOVE TO SHIP THE KEYS TO SOMEONE IN STATE BUT I DON’T HAVE ANYBODY THERE RIGHT NOW AND I DON’T WANT TO MAKE USE OF ANY THIRD PARTY THAT IS WHY AM HANDLING MY PROPERTY MYSELF..

House Address
3441 Attley Street,
Mount Pleasant SC 29466

Monthly Fee :$1000
Security Deposit: $1000
Pets Allowed:
Available :Available Now for move in.

So pls get back to me today.
I await your reply ASAP.
Regard and God bless you!!!
Ellmers Michelle S
+234-704-153-5393
011-234-704-153-5393

They EVEN used the name of the former owners whom had sold the property last month!!!!! I would love to catch these you know whats! It’s sad that people are really that hard up do prey on trusting individuals…esp. some of the seniors out there who may be even more trusting and nieve because they didn’t have to worry about losers like these kinds of people and technology of computers
that can be truly a detriment to their lives. I am def. going to try and notify the current owners. You can as I did google property records of the address in question and at least retrieve the names of the current owners…thats at least a start. I am also going to give them a GIG piece of my mind!

Good luck yall!
Jenni
Comment by Lynn Spruill on 13 January 2010:

oh my god this is so true it just happened to me…it cost me $500 and they never sent me the keys i am fighting them right now there was this beautiful house in bellport ny sounded great and i fell for it
Comment by Naomi on 14 January 2010:

Thanks for the info. I got an email from someone out of the UK, stating they are renting a beautiful condo for $700/month fully furnished and specified the location. I looked up the property on-line and a property in the building they stated actually sells for 750,000 to 2.9M. $700/month seemed like a steal.

The story seemed like it could be true, the woman “Sarah” had to quickly move out of Minnesota for her job and now lives in the UK and has no friends or family in town to show the property to me. If I send a deposit of $700 and 1st months rent she would send me the keys. But only after confirmation of receiving the $1400.

Her email is below:

(Email #1)

Hello,

Thanks for taking the time to look at my property.My name is Sarah Arnett,I’m 49 years old,I’m a construction engineer and I’m the owner of this condo(2 bedrooms,2 bathrooms,1100 square footage).I lived in this beautiful condo for over 5 years,loved every day of it.The prime location can’t be beat, and the garaged parking is an amenity sure to be appreciated by anyone who has lived in a big city. The condo is located at 100 3rd Ave S,Minneapolis…spectacular panoramic views of Minneapolis.
The condo is fully furnished with all necessary amenities(exactly like in the pics),the unit is equipped with recessed lighting, central air and heat, the condo come with two parking spots,a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture (if you don’t like it and you want use your furniture) ,there is also a linen closet, and most importantly, a new front loading stacked washer and drier…Pets allowed.
The kitchen eating area is a large piece of granite that serves as counter space in the kitchen, and as the table in the Living Room side. The counter seats 4 comfortably. The entertainment center is a beautiful credenza that is topped with a brand new 55′ High-Definition lcd tv. The stereo acts as the 5 speaker surround sound for the tv, the radio and cd player. The stereo also is a dvd player and is capable of having an i pod plugged right into a usb port.The Master Bedroom is large with high ceilings, has two windows, a walk-in closet and it has it’s own bathroom. The room has a large, very comfortable Cali-King bed. There are several dressers with an ample amount of drawers. The room also has a desk with several drawers and a file cabinet. The walls are decorated with nice artwork and floating shelves. The bathroom has a large, tiled shower stall behind a glass door. The vanity is covered with a beautiful piece of granite and between the vanity, shelves and medicine cabinet, there is plenty of space for toiletries.The Guest Bedroom is actually larger than the Master. It has high ceilings, two large closets and a dresser with two matching nightstands. There is one window, a coffee table and a brand new chair and ottoman. Just outside the door two the bedroom is the Guest Bathroom. The guest bath features a large jacuzzi tub and shower. The vanity is large and is covered with granite. There is also a linen closet, and most importantly, a new front loading stacked washer and drier. The area is clean, safe and beautifully.I’ve moved to United Kingdom with my job (i am a construction engineer) and decided to rent it because the rent is very expensive here.The price is so low because I’m here and is very hard to find a tenant.I can rent you the condo for min. 1 month and max. 6 years(or more).I really want to find a good and responsible tenant for it, and I hope that you can send me some personal information about yourself.The rent for the whole condo for 1 month is $700 including all utilities(water,electricity, internet, cable, parking , airconditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and the security deposit is 700$(you’ll get the deposit back at your departure-or you can use it to pay your last month of rent) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account. You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I`m the only person who has the keys and I have nobody in United States that could show you the condo. In order to check it, see if you like it(I’m sure that you’ll love it), you need to receive the keys and the contract.
If you want to rent the condo, please e-mail me back and I will explain you how the payment and shipping will take place!

Regards,
Sarah

(email #2)

We can make the contract now,but you’ll need the money now,for the security deposit + the first month of rent(the lease start from the day you move-March 1st,and you’ll receive the deposit back at your departure), but before going further with anything I must tell you that for payments I will use the eBay Company, they will secure the transaction of payments. I will open a CASE ID# at eBay Company for this transaction and I will give them your full name, shipping info, phone# and indicate you as my tenant. After that, they will contact you with the payment details, and they will ask you to send them a refundable deposit, $1400 in 24 hours(the money will be for the first month of rent + the security deposit). After they receive your deposit, they will notify me immediately to start the shipping of the keys and the contract. You will receive a tracking number in max 12 hours after they receive your deposit. The keys will reach to you in 3-4 days. After you’ll receive the keys and the contract, the 14 days of inspection period will start( you’ll have 14 days to see the condo, read the contract,
decide if you keep the condo or not.After the inspection you will contact them and tell your decision: TAKE THE CONDO or NOT TAKE THE CONDO! In case you’ll take it you’ll have to send them a copy of the contract signed by you and they will release the money to me, if not you’ll have to send them the contract unsigned and they will refund your money(1400$), the contract and the keys will be shipped back at my expenses! I will pay the shipping and you’ll have to pay the money transfer fee for the refundable deposit.
Once again:
1. If you have the money 1400$ and if you want to rent it send me your full name, your shipping address and your phone#
2. I will open a CASE ID# at eBay Company for this transaction , and I will give them your info, and indicate you as my tenant.
3. After that, they will contact you with the payment details(you’ll have to send them 1400$ via money transfer in the next 24 hours-you’ll need cash)
4. After they receive your deposit, they will notify me immediately to start the shipping, and you will receive a tracking number in max 12 hours after they receive your deposit.
5.From the moment you receive the keys the 14 days inspection period will start.I will make the transaction only in this way so if you have the money and if you want to rent my condo send me your full name, your shipping address, your phone# and I’ll start the procedure.

Thank’s
Sarah
Comment by Tom on 18 January 2010:

I’m very sad to say these same scammers managed to get a rental application out of me. I found out about these scams in time to keep from sending any money but it certainly concerns me that someone has my SSN.
It was all pretty much the same here in Florida as what’s been posted here already. Too good to be true rent, owner had to move the U.K., local contact was in the hospital and couldn’t show us the house (that alone should have put me on to it). I checked the public records and the name being used checked out as the owner. I feel like an idiot but managed to catch on before any serious damage was done.
Probably the best thing that came out of all of this was the fact that I’m a little wiser now than I was last week.
Comment by Katie on 21 January 2010:

We found a similar posting for an apartment in Charleston, SC
$700 / 3br – 3 br | 2 ½ ba | 1,417 sqft | Single-Family Home (169 King St #301, Charleston SC 29401)

We went back and forth with the person several times and even spoke on the phone. We filled out an application which had our address, phone numbers, references and employment info. It did not contain social or any banking info.

After doing more research as the story became strange, we found that it was a scam. Should I be worried about the information that we sent him?
Comment by Kristin on 24 January 2010:

I found a posting in Naperville, IL for $700, 3 bedroom, 2 full baths single family home for rent. Pictures and address were included. Of course, I figured it was too good to be true but I emailed to inquire about it anyhow. Here is the response I received:

“Hello,

Thanks for your response regarding your interest in having my house for rent . The house is much available for now and it is a 3bedroom home..I want you to know that i am the owner of this building situated at 2040 Crossing Ln Naperville, IL 60540… But i am now presently in West Africa for my Hospitals Project prayer crusade with my wife and we have the keys right here with us. I will like to inform you that it was due to my transfer that makes us to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own..So for now,We are here in West Africa,NIGERIA our new house and also with the keys of the house,we are trying to look for an agent that we can give this document before we left but could not see and we are as well as don’t want our house to be used any how in our absent that is why we took it along with us here..We are only willing to give the house out to a lovely and caring family only, so if you know you cannot give the house the neatness it deserves please don’t contact me.But if you promise to always take good care of the house,get back to me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in renting a home.Hope you are okay with the monthly price of $700 and the refundable security deposit of $700. I am looking forward to hear from you ASAP, below is the application form for you to fill and discuss on how to get the house for rent..

Kindly confirm your interest by filling the form below:

TENANT RENT APPLICATION
FIRST NAME: __________________
MIDDLE NAME: __________________
LAST NAME: __________________
PROFESSION: ________________
PHONE (____) __________ (CELL)
PHONE (____) __________ (WORK)
PHONE (____) __________ (HOME)
MARITAL STATUS: _________
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
Home ADDRESS: ___________________________
CITY: _______________
STATE: ______________
ZIP CODE: ____________
HOW LONG? ___________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING? _______________________________________________________________________
CURRENT RENT: _______
IF THIS HOUSE IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING? ____________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN? ______________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND SENDING ME THE DEPOSIT___________________________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND RECEIVING THE KEYS AND DOCUMENT OF THE HOUSE___________________________

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you,please we are giving you all this base on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that,we do not see yet and only putting everything into Gods hand,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this.

You can contact me on +234- 802-444-6958 or 011-234-802-444-6958..

Regards.”

I then decided to google the address and found that it is listed for sale for $283,000. I emailed the company listing the house to alert them as they probably have no idea. Crazy…
Comment by Jess on 27 January 2010:

I ran into someone trying to rent in my neighborhood. She showed me the posting on a print out and I contacted the owners who then took down the craigslist posting. The first tip is the scammers where trying to rent the place at half the cost so that if something sounds to good to be true. It is fake.
Comment by Janet on 28 January 2010:

I can’t believe this happened to me, I was so close to fall for this scam, this guy called at work so I can send the money!!! what a bunch on F@#@# they are!!! Very scary!!!
Comment by Megan on 29 January 2010:

I got the same response as Kristen when inquiring about a house in Pittsburgh. I knew as I read the e-mail it was a scam. A house like this in this area would usually rent around 2,000

Here is the e-mail:

Hi,
I did get your response concerning the AD I posted on craigslist. The house is still available but presently I’m not around.. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately I won the bidding so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to rebid for it in the next 10 years. I came over here with my wife, we both bought the house when we got married. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that. She said we may not be able to win the bidding next time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise. So I contacted the agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have give the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discovered that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the space. But I just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if you belief you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than happy to let you rent the house.
Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name__________________________________________________ Home Phone ( ) ________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( ) ___________________
Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( ) ____________________________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
Move In Date____________________________
How soon can you pay the deposit———————————-

TAKE NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE BY AND SEE MY HOUSE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RENTING GET THE APPLICATION FORM FILLED OUT AND SEND IT BACK TO ME SO THAT I CAN SHIP MY KEYS TO YOU FOR YOU BE ABLE TO GO AND LOOK AT THE INSIDE OR MOVE IN IMMEDIATELY. I WOULD HAVE REALLY LOVE TO SHIP THE KEYS TO SOMEONE IN STATE BUT I DON’T HAVE ANYBODY THERE RIGHT NOW AND I DON’T WANT TO MAKE USE OF ANY THIRD PARTY THAT IS WHY AM HANDLING MY PROPERTY MYSELF..

House Address
573 Greenhurst Drive
Mt. Lebanon, PA 15243

Monthly Fee ; $800
Security Deposit: $500
Pets Allowed:
Available :Available Now for move in.

So pls get back to me today.
I await your reply ASAP.
Sherri Garlick
contact Number . 011-234-805-803-9541 & +234-702-963-2643
Comment by Kela on 3 February 2010:

Here is the email chain

this was my reply:

I know you think all Americans are idiots but that’s not true.

——————————————————————————–
From: Richard Bowdle
To: Kela
Sent: Wed, February 3, 2010 3:56:18 PM
Subject: Re: $1200 / 4br – 4 br | 3 ba | 2,919 sqft (Sacramento)

Hello,

I did get your response concerning the Advert I published on craigslist. The house is still available. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately I won the bidding so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to rebid for it in the next 4 to 5 years. I came over here with my Wife and daughter, we both built the house when we got married.. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later she advised against that. She said we may not be able to win the bidding next time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise. So I contacted the Agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have given the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with the idea. If you notice, you will discovered that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the space.. But I just have a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if you belief you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than happy to let you rent the house..

House Address : 1047 46th St, Sacramento CA
Monthly Rent : $1200
Refundable Security Deposit : 1000

Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Full Name__________________________________________________ Home Phone ( )________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( )___________________
Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( )____________________________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
How many people will be living
in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
Move In Date____________________________
HOW SOON CAN YOU HAVE THE DEPOSIT PAYMENT SENT___________________________
HOW SOON DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THE KEYS AND DOCUMENTS OF THE HOUSE___________________________
You could give me a call as soon as possible so we could proceed ASAP.

You can only be able to drive by the house for now but not have a look at the interior until i have sent the keys and documents of the house to you…and the requirement for getting the keys and documents of the house is a fully refundable payment, which is the security deposit.

Please note that the deposit made is fully refundable should in case you finally gain entrance into the house after receiving the keys and documents and feel unsatisfied or uncomfortable with the interior, but i am giving you a benefit of doubt that you will love everything about this lovely home…

I Await your response so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you.

My cell phone number is : (+234-703-447-9995 or 011-234-703-447-9995) OR (+234-702-561-0996 or 702-561-0996)

Best Regards.
Richard Bowdle.

— On Wed, 2/3/10, Kela wrote:

From: Kela
Subject: $1200 / 4br – 4 br | 3 ba | 2,919 sqft (Sacramento)
To: richard.bowdle@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 10:09 PM

http://sacramento..craigslist.org/apa/1583660315.html

Hi I would like to see the property please contact me so that I can schdule with you.

Thanks
Comment by Shawn on 4 February 2010:

I just finished emailing some guy from “West Africa” who gave me the same exact bs. He even went so far as to use this as an email: lordsworker86@gmail.com haha!! Stupid fool.
I lead him on because I can smell the scams a mile away and I like messing with scumbags. In the end I told him I was sending his email to the FBI.
Who falls for this crap? They are giving all Nigerians a bad name. i don’t trust them at all. I know that’s not right but who’s to blame for that?

Here is his BS:

Hello,
I can see you are interested in the ad I have pasted.I am currently in West Africa where I work with the WEST AFRICA NETWORK FOR PEACE.Here is the site for more detail about why I am here in Africa.(http://www.wanep.org) You can visit this site for more on my mission here I need to make sure it is really being kept clean as the need for me to come and settle back there might arise though not in the nearest future anyway.So I need a tenant to take care of it as if he or she owns it as I am out of the state now.I have received some proposals regarding the rent because it is located in a very good area of 45 Oakdale St,in Attleboro,but I still have to make sure it is rented out to someone who can take good care of it,and since I won’t be able to see my potential tenant before lease agreement I hope the Lord leads me through. It includes facilities such as water and heat laundry facilities,washer/dryer,air condition,internet and telephone access and a car park and other necessary facilities,also comes with trash collection,pets are allowed as well as long as they are not destructive,so if you know you are capable of the task,get back to me. A confidential lease Tenant Contract form needs to be prepared,the mentioned details below are the information to be used in prepare the lease and be sent back to you immediately.

RENT QUESTIONNAIRE
1)Your Full Name?
2)Your Full Address & Phone Number?
3)Are you married?
4)How many people will be living in the house?
5)Do you have a pet?
6)Do you have a car?
7)Occupation?
8)how long lease are you looking for?
9)How soon do you intend moving in?
10)Reason for relocating?
In securing and reserving the home prior to your move in date, I will like you to get back to me asap so that the property can be booked if actually you want it.Here is my mobile contacts here in West Africa +2347035212033, you are free to contact me anytime.

Awaiting your response.

Stay Blessed!!!
Comment by CJ on 11 February 2010:

I was contacted Yesterday, Feb 10, 2010 regarding a similar listing. Yet the house which is stated for rent for $550 on craigslist is ALSO for sale on Weichert Realtors for 160,000. When I questioned the “owner” regarding this she stated that I shouldnt call the realtors, she will contact them. Also, she wants the security deposit OF $900 sent to Nigeria by Western Union. Stating that this was better than a bank draft or wire transfer. States that she is a missionary who moved to Nigeria for 5 years and do not plan on returning to the home. She also wants the money sent immediately and she will send the keys.

I tried contacing the Realtor Agency but recieved no response. I will try again tomorrow.

The owner even sent me a lease. But all of this has raise suspicion which has increase with this article.

How can I report this Anne E Wolfe for federal review?? This is scarry, a lot of money to be out of if a person falls for it.
Comment by PM on 19 February 2010:

almost fell for it, called the actual owner who is not from Africa at all, I actually talked to the guy in Africa and wanted the money right away to be wired to his western union account. see emails below. I knew this was too good to be true…

From: CONKLE DAVID (CONKLEDAVID@mail2Florida.com)
Sent: Fri 2/19/10 5:43 PM

You are going to send the Deposit payment of $700, so that you can have the keys and document in your possession,and below is the information to send the payment through Western union outlet.

Below is the payment information.

Receiver’s Name:CONKLE DAVID
Address : 92 ST VICTORIA ISLAND,
CITY: IKEJA,
STATE:LAGOS,
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
ZIP CODE:23401
TEXT QUESTION : WHO MADE YOU?
ANSWER : GOD.

As soon as you send the payment from the Western Union Money Transfer or money gram outlet, you would be given some informations. You would have to get back to me
with following informations:

1. Full Sender’s Name And Address Including Zip Code:
2. MTCN #:
3. Amount Sent:

4.Security text question and Answer

As soon as the payment been confirmed, I will send the neccessary document and keys of the house to you through FEDEX and get back to you with the Tracking number and the arrival time of the document and the keys.

Thanks and God Bless you

From: CONKLE DAVID (CONKLEDAVID@mail2Florida.com)
Sent: Fri 2/19/10 4:07 AM

Hello,

Thanks for getting back to me with the Rent Application Form.I just wanted to let you know that we have decided to let you live in our house.As we have found your application very satisfactory and acceptable by my family.So we would want you to go through this email and get back to us on what you feel so we could proceed in renting the house to you.

We would like to send the following documents to you via FedEx next day delivery to the address you sent to us and the tracking number will be sent to you so that you can possibly occupy our house. Please once again, we are giving you this based on trust so please do not disappoint us and i promise you that, you will love the house.

We are with the under listed documents here with us and you will need to make Payment for the security deposit and first month rent to enable shipment of the Keys and documents to the address you have provided to us, after which you could move in at your convenience. The rent starts counting when you move in, so you could go ahead with the payment straight away to make things faster,so you can have the keys and documents of the house with you and then move in at your own convenience.

Here are the contents of the document that needs to be sent.

1) Entrance and the rooms Keys
2) Paper/Permanent house form
3) The house documentary file.
4) Full Description of the house
5) Payment Receipt
6) Signed Lease Agreement Form you are supposed to also sign and get it sent back to me.

So please do get back to me today so that I will let know the next step to take concerning the payment.The house is available for rent for up to 4 years,so you are free to decide on how long you intend occupying it.Rent already includes utilities..I’m ready to accept either monthly or upfront mode of payment..depending on the one you’re most comfortable with.Utilities include:power, water,sewer and trash.Your monthly rent already covers utilities so you do not have to pay extra charges for that.

Please note that the deposit made is fully refundable should in case you finally gain entrance to the house after receiving the keys and documents and feel unsatisfied or uncomfortable with the interior,but i am giving you a benefit of doubt that you will love everything about this lovely home.You are advised to act fast on this so you don’t loose the house to other interested applicants.

Thanks and Remain Blessed.
Comment by Emma on 23 February 2010:

I have recieved this same e-mail on craigslist from 20 different houses! This is ridiculouse and scary. If you read the e-mail well their grammer is awful and it does not make sence. My friend and I did not know how to go about reporting the scam but apparently it is being delt with
Comment by Kara on 24 February 2010:

the min. we got this back we knew it had to be a scam…. I found the real realestate agent and notified her… In this day and age who in their right mind would actually recieve this response back and think its legit? its a shame there is no way to get these ppl

Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:43:37 +0100
Subject: Re: $1400 / 2br – Spectacular Home with Ocean view Decks!!! in Laguna Beach (Laguna Beach)
From: lordsworker86@gmail.com
To:
Hello,
I can see you are interested in the ad I have pasted.I am currently in West Africa where I work with the WEST AFRICA NETWORK FOR PEACE.Here is the site for more detail about why I am here in Africa.(http://www.wanep.org) You can visit this site for more on my mission here I need to make sure it is really being kept clean as the need for me to come and settle back there might arise though not in the nearest future anyway.So I need a tenant to take care of it as if he or she owns it as I am out of the state now.I have received some proposals regarding the rent because it is located in a very good area of 233 Nyes Pl Upper in Laguna Beach,but I still have to make sure it is rented out to someone who can take good care of it,and since I won’t be able to see my potential tenant before lease agreement I hope the Lord leads me through. It includes facilities such as water and heat laundry facilities,washer/dryer,air condition,internet and telephone access and a car park and other necessary facilities,also comes with trash collection,pets are allowed as well as long as they are not destructive,so if you know you are capable of the task,get back to me. A confidential lease Tenant Contract form needs to be prepared,the mentioned details below are the information to be used in prepare the lease and be sent back to you immediately.

RENT QUESTIONNAIRE
1)Your Full Name?
2)Your Full Address & Phone Number?
3)Are you married?
4)How many people will be living in the house?
5)Do you have a pet?
6)Do you have a car?
7)Occupation?
8)how long lease are you looking for?
9)How soon do you intend moving in?
10)Reason for relocating?
In securing and reserving the home prior to your move in date, I will like you to get back to me asap so that the property can be booked if actually you want it.Here is my mobile contacts here in West Africa +2347035212033, you are free to contact me anytime.

Awaiting your response.
Stay Blessed!!!
Comment by megan on 25 February 2010:

my boyfriend and i just fell for the scam ourselves, it’s sad what they are able to do. I am doing everything I can to stop these posts on craigslist, i check it daily in the morgantown region and flag every one that was like the one we fell for. It’s unfortunate that this is what craigslist has come too.

Here’s the e-mail they sent us though, so similar to others
___________________________________________________
From: Bob F Judy III [mailto:judyiiibobf@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, January 22, 2010 11:42 AM
To: Justin
Subject: Re: $900 / 3br – 3 Bed, 2 Bath ( Morgantown , WV )

Hi,

Sorry for the late respond,I did get your response concerning the AD I posted on craigslist. The house is still available but presently I’m not around.. I did bid for a portion of petroleum land sometimes ago in West Africa and fortunately I won the bidding so I have to move quickly down to Africa to have my company set up because I will still have to rebid for it in the next 10 years. I came over here with my wife, we both built the house when we got married. As soon as we settle down here I had a thought of selling the house so I have to look for an agent, after getting one, we got a deal but later my wife advised against that. She said we may not be able to win the bidding next time, in other to keep our head when we return that we have to keep the house. I reasoned with her and accepted her advise. So I contacted the agent back and requested for my keys and documents. Later we decided to have the house rent out, we would have give the same agent this job also but the truth of the matter is that the agent would want to handle it professionally and the occupant may not be able to reason along with him later. If you notice, you will discovered that the price we are offering is far below standard price, this is enough for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the absolute care for the property. I know there is no way I can be sure that you are the right person to live in the house because we won’t be able to see physical before sending you the keys and the documents to occupy the space. But I just had a feeling that anyone who knows what it takes to put the kind of structure down should know that maintaining a building is mandatory, so if you belief you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than happy to let you rent the house.

Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

Full Name__________________________________________________ Home Phone ( ) ________________________

Date of Birth_________________________________

Other Phone ( ) ___________________

Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________

Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( ) ____________________________

Are you married____________________________

How many people will be living in the house__________________________

Do you have a pet____________________________

Do you have a car____________________________

Occupation____________________________

Move In Date____________________________

House Address: 3205 Lemley St Morgantown , WV 26508
Phone…+234-8028850839

011-234-8028850839

NB;YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VIEW THE INTERIOR PART OF THE PROPERTY,BECAUSE I HAVE THE KEYS AND DOCUMENTS HERE WITH WITH ME.
Comment by CrystaWater on 28 February 2010:

Hi Everyone,

I have an aunt who was just scammed out of $1400 from a person out of Nigeria over a “rental” property. She honestly thought the house was his and that everything was legit, I am heartbroke for her.

Does anyone know any way at all that she can get her money back and seek justice?

Thanks!

Please email me at

crystalynmcghee@att.net
Comment by Mark on 4 March 2010:

Hi all,

I am glad I googled that phone number before I gave all my info. I knew this was too good to be true. The listings was in CL in So. Florida. Apparently this scam has been going for YEARS, all over the country and Canada. Can we get CL to crack down on this? I am totally disgusted… I was a victim of indetity theft, and ripped off in other ways too! I am sick and tired of scammers! Anyway, I just hope my posting adds more fuel to catch these crooks.
Comment by mugglechan on 7 March 2010:

Well…I almost fell for it too, but my six sense sent me to search on it first! I just want to know, WHAT CAN WE DO TO REPORT THEM? HOW CAN WE PUT A STOP ON IT?? PLEASE, FBI GIVES US SOME CLUES ON HOW CAN WE HELP!
Comment by Somay on 9 March 2010:

It seems they believe all Americans are stupid because they are still trying to get people out there. I have been looking for an apartment in the White Plains Westchester County Area of New York and this apartment actually is for rent only these scammers stole the ad and reposted it as their own. I am reading these posts and see so many similarities to the email I received. I would never have sent any one money just like that. This jerk started emailing me over and over too saying did you send the money yet? Once I caught wind that this was a scam I decided to make the jerk sweat too and started emailing him back asking more and more questions which he seemed to keep avoiding only to finally reply with the repeated question did you send the money yet. I kept him lured for a bit but decided to drop the game finally be letting him know I was wise to his game and there was never any way he was going to catch me out there and the he was not a man of God as he claimed to be and that my God is a GOOD God whom he will have to stand before come judgement day and that I hoped all the money he stole was worth an eternity in hell. That was just thew surface of what I said. Yeah I was really pissed off. I spent 12 hours driving on the road to go see this house for nothing! The following is the first email they sent to me

Dear,

Thanks for the email.

Hello,
Yes, my 3Bed Room APARTMENT is NOW available for RENT. If you are interested you can call me for further details on my number+447024060958 OR +44 7024037764: below are the fees and entry requirement.
Fees: Per Month: $1000
Security / Deposit: $800

RENTALS APPLICATION
FIRST NAME:__________________
MIDDLE NAME:_________________
LAST NAME:__________________
PROFESSION:________________
HOME PHONE (____)__________
(CELL)PHONE (____)__________
(WORK)PHONE (____)__________
KIDS_____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY________
PRESENT ADDRESS:_____________________
CITY:_______________
STATE:______________
ZIPCODE:____________
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING?____________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN?______________
HOW SOON CAN YOU HAVE THE DEPOSIT PAYMENT SENT TO ME___________________________
HOW SOON DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THE KEYS AND DOCUMETS OF THE HOUSE___________________________
DO YOU HAVE A PET:_____________
NAME OF PET:_____________
KIND OF PETS:_____________
DO YOU SMOKE?______________
DO YOU DRINK?______________.
I HOPE TO HERE FROM YOU SOONEST
MY CONCTACT NUMBER IS +447024060958 OR +44 7024037764

Wide Parking place is available.
We decided to rent our property to a responsible family because we just relocated to London for the missionary work and have a 4 years course. To avoid keeping our house Empty we both have decided to lease our property to a good and God fearing family that will take good care of the property.

There is no Registration fee. Only Payment of deposit is required, in other to send keys and paper works. I would like you to know that i am a very feel minded person and would want you to express yourself to me. After I receive this detail, I would get back to you soonest and then let you know my terms.
Pets are allowed and utilities are available.
I hope to hear from you soonest. God Bless.

Rev Peter
Comment by William on 10 March 2010:

OK, it’s time to get back to all these scammers. Why don’t we all start looking for these fake ads and start e-mailing them each day pretending to seem interested. Let’s waste their time getting them exited that they have a “sucker”. Tell them that you wired the money (obviously don’t). Give them fake information. Lead them on and argue with them about stupid things…
– You want the lawn mowed before you move in
– You are Green and want to know what the rating is on the insulation
– Tell them to knock off $200 dollars off the rent, and then ask for another $100 when they agree…. haggle like crazy.
– Ask if they accept out of state checks or checks that don’t have your name on them
If we can’t get them arrested for what they are doing to us, at least we can waste their time and laugh in their faces.
Comment by Not Scammed on 10 March 2010:

I Have been in correspondance with one of these scammers from Craigslist. I did locate the home in question on a realators site for $1500.00 per month through a property managment company locally.

Hello,

Thanks for your email and interest in renting my house..I am Mariam David, the owner of the house you are making inquiry of…Actually I resided in the house with my family before and presently we have moved out due to my transfer from my work now in Warsaw,Poland. Presently my house is still available for rent for $700 USD (rent already includes utilities).More so Now, i am currently in Lagos, Nigeria for an international Christian follower’s crusade. I will like to let you know that i initially wanted to sell the house but my husband advised i rent it out to responsible people.

Please i want you to note that i spent a lot on my property that i want to give to you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this house and want you to treat it as your own, It is not the money that is the main problem but i want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up.I also want you to let me have trust in you as i always stand on my word.This is the address of the House: (502 Briar Hill Road Louisville, KY)

It has a dramatic entry foyer with ceramic floor. Extremely spacious rooms throughout with lots of big windows…nice and light! New neutral paint and some newer carpet..Very quiet, low traffic area. Appliances included are washer, dryer, oven,dishwasher, new fridge (7/07)…I believe its absolutely a home for you and your family.Utilities include Water,Trash,Sewer,Gas

SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE
RENT APPLICATION FORM BELOW

RENT APPLICATION FORM.

FIRST NAME:__________?
MIDDLE NAME:__________?
LAST NAME:__________?
SEX:__________?
DATE OF BIRTH:_________?
PROFESSION:__________?
PHONE:
(CELL)PHONE__________?
(WORK)PHONE__________?
(HOME)PHONE__________?
WHICH NUMBER IS THE BEST TO CALL YOU ON__________?
MARITAL STATUS:__________?
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
PRESENT ADDRESS: _____________________
CITY: _______________
STATE:______________
ZIP CODE: ____________
HOW LONG? ___________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING__________?
IF THIS HOUSE IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING? ____________?
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN? ______________?
DO YOU AGREE TO PAY THE DEPOSIT BEFORE RECEIVING THE KEYS
_____________?
IF YOU HAVE A PET,
KIND OF PETS: _____________?
HABITS
DO YOU SMOKE ______________ ?
DO YOU DRINK ______________?
DO YOU WORK LATE NIGHT? ____?

Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you…Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you,please we are giving you all this based on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that we have not seen yet and only putting everything into Gods hands,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this…

The house is available for rent at the moment so you are free to move in as soon as you wish to….A Deposit of $300 (which happens to be the security deposit) is required before moving in….Feel free to call my Husband on +2347040181144 or 0112347040181144 for more information and arrangements on how to get the keys and other necessary documents delivered to you….

The house will be available for rent for a period of 4 years so you have a choice of deciding how long you intend staying there…

Remain Blessed.
Mariam David

Here was the reply once I replied to the individual:

Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me. I just wanted to let you know that after going through all the applications received, we have decided to let you live in our house as we have found your application very satisfactory and acceptable by my family. So we would want you to go through this email and get back to us on what you feel so we could proceed in renting the house to you.We would like to send the following documents to you via FedEx next day delivery to the address you sent to us and the tracking number will be sent to you so that you can possibly occupy our house.. Please once again, we are giving you this based on trust so please do not disappoint us and i promise you that, you will love the house. We are with the under listed documents here with us and you will need to make Payment for the security deposit ($300 USD) to enable shipment of the Keys and documents to the address you have provided to us, after which you could move in at your convenience. The rent only starts counting when you move in, so you could go ahead with the payment straight away to make things faster.
Here are the contents of the document that needs to be sent.
1) Entrance and the rooms Keys
2) Paper/Permanent house form
3) The house documentary file..
4) Full Description of the house
5) Payment Receipt

The house is available for rent for up to 4 years,so you are free to decide on how long you intend occupying it…Rent already includes utilities…I’m ready to accept either monthly or upfront mode of payment..depending on the one you are most comfortable with..Utilities include: gas, water,sewer, trash and electricity. Your monthly rent already covers utilities so you do not have to pay extra charges for that..Please note that the deposit made is fully refundable should in case you finally gain entrance into the house after receiving the keys and documents and feel unsatisfied or uncomfortable with the interior,but i am giving you a benefit of doubt that you will love everything about this lovely home.
All you need to do at this point is send a deposit of ($300 USD) which is the Security Deposit as soon as possible to the under listed information through Western Union in order for me to be able to send the keys and other documents of the house to you via FedEx Immediately.

RECEIVER’S NAME: MARIAM DAVID
ADDRESS: 12A GODWIN ESTATE, ISOLO
STATE: LAGOS,
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
ZIP CODE: 23401
TEST QUESTION: WHO IS THE GREATEST?
ANSWER: GOD.

Get back to me with the 10 digits MTCN (money transfer control number) that will be given to you at Western Union after you have made the payment in order for me to be able to pick up the money sent, so that i can immediately arrange for the delivery of keys and documents to you through FedEx next day delivery…

I will instruct you on how to make the monthly rent payments to me after you have moved in, and concerning the utilities,that will be taken care of by me every month so you need not to worry about that because the rent paid already covers that. Have a very wonderful day and your prompt response is awaited.

Thanks and Remain Blessed

Here was my reply to them:

Miriam, as I am sure you as a fellow Christian are aware trust is an important thing as you have stated but God also calls us to be good stewards of all that He has provided us including our finances. In an effort to be a good steward of these assets I have checked on the home you state to own and have for lease prior to wire transferring any funds. The home is indeed for rent and is a property managed by Property Management of Louisville. The rental fee on this home is $1500.00 per month. Property Management of Louisville has all documents and keys to the property and handles all lease details exclusively. I have spoke with them this morning.

The western union details you list in your email below is also utilized in multiple other property offerings on Craigslist at this time.

The Jefferson County courthouse shows the owner of record of this property to be an estate and there is no reference to you or the name you have provided so far.

After requesting information regarding various homes listed for rental on Craigslist I have received 17 letters from various names indicating the owner of the property is currently engaged in Christian ministry in Nigeria and asking for a deposit to be sent Western Union in exchange for a rental contract and keys to mentioned property. I was not aware that so many Louisville residents were engaged In the Ministry working in Nigeria or connected to Poland. Each letter references Poland as well as a residence.

I have copied our communications to the US Attorney General’s Office as well as to the FBI for follow-up as they have an internet posting related to fraudulent Nigerian schemes related to housing offers on Craigslist complete with letter examples that copy your letter below and have asked for any such contact to be relayed to them for potential prosecution.

I pray that this is a misunderstanding and that you are not attempting to mock God in your use of HIS name, for the Holy scriptures also tells us that God will NOT be mocked.
Comment by LONNITA on 11 March 2010:

This was sent to my husband when he responded to an ad.

Hello,

It is a great pleasure that to you are interested in my Home, Thanks for your email and I am very glad having receive an email from you regarding my Home. I am Masoud and I am the very owner of the House you are making inquiry of. Actually we resided in this particular House with the entire family, such as my Lovely Wife and our Three children, before and presently we packed due to an emergency transfer from my working place to make due to the increase in the production of attires / fabric productions and this transfer is a temporary but will last for at least 53months (4years+), right now we situated in the (West Africa Region) and presently our House is still available for rent. (Utilities also Included). I want you to know that the House is Unfurnished, so you can move into the House with your own Personal furniture but the Utilities are intact such as Water, Sewer, Garbage, Cable ready etc. Facilities also include: Dishwasher, Dryer, Electric Stove, Fridge, Vinyl floors, Kitchen pantry, Washer etc. This House is also in a Conducive Area and has good Neighborhood. All kind of Pets are Allowed with no extra Deposit and 2garage parking space available.

RENTAL FEATURES:

Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Type: Townhome
Rent: $700
Security Deposit : $400

Home Address: 5155 Mountain Villa Grv,
City: Colorado Springs
State: CO
Zipcode: 80917

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

Full Name__________________________________________________
Home Phone ( )________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( )___________________
Current Address_______________________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( )____________________________
Which of the Above Phone # can u be reach at anytime: ( )__________________
Best Time to Call You: ___________________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
monthly income? ____________________________
How Long You Want the Lease? ____________________________
Move In Date____________________________
When do you intend receive the keys & document of the house________________
When do you intended sending the deposit___________________________
Have You Gone to See The House Yet? ________________

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you. Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you, please we are giving you all this base on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words, you know that, we have not seen each other yet, so i am only putting everything into Gods hand, so please do not let me down in any way, this our property and God bless you more as you do this. Please note than you are free to go by the house and see the exterior and surroundings of it at this time, but you will have access to look at the interior once i have sent the keys & essential documents of the house to you. I will like you to know that the requirement for getting the keys and documents of the house to you is a full refundable fee of $400 USD, which serve as the Security Deposit. Please note that the deposit made is fully refundable should in case you finally gain entrance into the house after receiving the keys and documents and feel unsatisfied or uncomfortable with the interior, but i am giving you a benefit of doubt that you will love everything about this lovely home…

I Await your response so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you.

Thanks and you are welcome.

GOD BLESS YOU

Masoud
Comment by Dan D on 13 March 2010:

I also found on craigslist a home in Avon, Hartford County, Connecticut, with pictures. Then when I received the following email response, I started some research and sure enough it was listed for rent at $1900 not $1000. Our agent contacted the listing agent, who contacted the home owner. We provided our emails and the craigslist posting to the homeowner who happens to be an Attorney now on a mission.

With any luck this one will be stopped. The yahoo email cocohome102@yahoo.com comes from an ip address in New Hampshire. My immediate hope is someone didn’t give this person money on this property. Moving is not cheap, I would hate to think someone lost money they needed to use to move.

Here is the return email from my inquiry:

Hello,

Thanks for your email and interest in renting my house..I am the owner of the house you are making inquiry of…Actually I resided in the house with my family before and presently we have moved out due to my transfer from my work now in Warsaw,Poland. Presently my house is still available for rent for $1000 (rent already includes utilities).More so Now, i am currently in Lagos,Nigeria for an international Christian follower’s crusade.

Please i want you to note that i spent a lot on my property that i want to give to you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this house and want you to treat it as your own, It is not the money that is the main problem but i want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up. I will like to let you know that i initially wanted to sell the house but my wife advised i rent it out to responsible people who could take very good care of it. I also want you to let me have trust in you as i always stand on my word.

It has a dramatic entry foyer with ceramic floor. Extremely spacious rooms throughout with lots of big windows…nice and light! New neutral paint and some newer carpet..Very quiet, low traffic area. Appliances included are washer, dryer, oven,dishwasher, new fridge (7/07)…I believe its absolutely a perfect home for you and your family.Utilities include Water,Trash,Sewer,Gas

SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE
RENT APPLICATION FORM BELOW

RENT APPLICATION FORM..

FIRST NAME:__________?
MIDDLE NAME:__________?
LAST NAME:__________?
DATE OF BIRTH:_________?
PROFESSION:__________?
PHONE:
(CELL)PHONE__________?
(WORK)PHONE__________?
(HOME)PHONE__________?
MARITAL STATUS:__________?
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
PRESENT ADDRESS: _____________________
CITY: _______________
STATE:_________ __ ___
ZIP CODE: ____________
HOW LONG? ___________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING__________?
IF THIS HOUSE IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING? ____________?
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN? ______________?
IF YOU HAVE A PET,
KIND OF PETS: _____________?
HABITS
DO YOU SMOKE ______________ ?
DO YOU DRINK ___ __ _________?
DO YOU WORK LATE NIGHT? ____?

Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you…Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you,please we are giving you all this based on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that we have not seen yet and only putting everything into Gods hands,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this…..

The house is available for rent at the moment so you are free to move in as soon as you wish to…A Deposit of $1000 (which happens to be the security deposit) is required before moving in…..Feel free to call me for more information and arrangements on how to get the keys and other necessary documents delivered to you… i will like you to call me on this number (011-234-806-151-8797 or +234-806-151-8797).The house will be available for rent for a period of 4 years so you have a choice of deciding how long you intend staying there…

Regards and Remain Blessed.
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Comment by Anonymous on 17 March 2010:

I received this response today…

Hello

I can see you are interested in renting the house I have pasted, I am currently in West Africa where I work as a volunteer with the GOODNESS AND MERCY MISSION, here is the site for more details about why I am here inAfrica.(http://gmmafrica.org). So I need a tenant to take care of it but since I am out of the state now, I have received some proposals regarding the rent because it is located in a very good area. It is located at 1796 Moorings Cir, in the city of Middleburg, FL . I spent less time in the States so I could not get a hold on any Realtor to handle this rent issue, although it was when I knew how long we are going to stay in Africa that I decided to rent out the house…. However, the initial plan was to sale out the house. which I tried, but sometimes the agents inflates the price and it takes longer to sell i am telling you this incase if you find the house on another website. I left behind some Facilities and electronics which include the rent, and a DVD player, air conditioning, alarm system. The kitchen is fully equipped with all necessary cooking utensils, a refrigerator-freezer, four-hob and oven, microwave, dishwasher and washing machine, My Computer Connected with Internet Access Also the keys to the House are right here with me, and the house documents. Which I can send to you after all necessary agreement has be accepted. Also I will like you to know that the rent charges is not really the issue ,but your absolute maintenance of my House is most important thing so will want you to get back to me with the Application form below.

RENTAL APPLICATION

1)Your Full Name__________________________
2)Your Full Address & Phone Number_______________________
3)How old are you_______________________
4)Are you married_______________________
5)How many people will be living in the house_______________________
6)Do you have children_____Ages_____
7)Do you have a car_______________________
8)Do you have a pet_____
8)Occupation_______________________
9)Monthly income_______________________
10)When will you like to move in_______________________
11)How long will you like to rent the property______________________
12)Reason for relocating_______________________

One Mr Sammy-Lee called me in regards to the house, I told him that I can’t give him the House for rent because he loves smoking, drinking and i don’t want him to get drunked one day and damaged my property, so If you are still interested Note that the rent is going to be $700 Per month No extra fees. Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you. Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys of the house to you.

Thanks
NAME:Suzanne I Hanna
suzanneihanna@yahoo.com
+234-709-092-8098
Comment by Scott on 18 March 2010:

I received the same “Lagos,Nigeria for an international Christian follower’s crusade” email as the post above for a rental place in Jackson, MS. I reported the post to the Abuse dept. at Craigslist.
Comment by Kim on 18 March 2010:

Here is one from last week claiming thier son died. Sick.

Good Day,

Please excuse my late reply but I couldn’t respond earlier. I’m using 5 years in West Africa,so I’m not giving it out for month alone but for years.I and my wife had an accident when we were in state,and we lost our only son during the accident that is why we took the transfer job cos we felt it is the only way we could move on with life,And also My wife almost lost her hearing along the incident so please if you know you are going to rent our house kindly take good care of it. My name is Mike P Robinson.

The House has 4 bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms. The rent is $800 /month and it includes the utilities. I am the owner of the House, Now we live in West africa( Nigeria ) right now and I came to West Africa under (WHO) World Health Organization(WHO).. WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.Visit our website for more information if you also want to make an impact to the world.
http://www.who.int/about/en/. I hope you will promise me to take very good care of the House.. The House is very big and nice and it is in a nice area I have received many proposals today for my property.

Here is the address bellow:

Address: 1924 E. Libra

pets allowed

My contact Number for further discussion…………
+234-813-097-5518 or 011-234-813-097-5518

Thanks and remain blessed

Mike P Robinson
Comment by Trisha on 18 March 2010:

I’ll add mine to the list too. This is happening in Kansas City, Missouri as well now.

We already knew there was someone living there, because we had already driven by the house the night before and saw someone inside. Then his email says we can’t see the inside because the keys are in Nigeria with him!

We emailed the real estate agent which posted the FOR SALE ad on Craigslist, and he told us that this happens at least once a year to him! I agree with the first comment on here, Craigslist should just ban all users with Nigerian IP addresses. …kind of like ABC does when someone outside the US wants to watch an episode of Lost.

***********************************************

Hello,

Thanks for the email. Yes the House is still available and will only be given out to the right person that will take very good care of the place and the facilities. Well I must let you know that the house has a lot of facilities like laundry facilities,air condition, internet and telephone access,Dishwasher, Washer/Dryer, Microwave, Oven, Refrigerator, Stove/Gas and other necessary facilities. I have really decided to give out the house as a result of my transfer to West Africa (Nigeria).

I will be giving out the house for $800/month including utilities with a security deposit of $800. I need to inform you as well that money is not the major reason why I am renting it out but want someone who can take care of it as if he/she owns it. So let me know as soon as possible if you can take good care of it, so that we can discuss the rent further. Pets are allowed.

We initially wanted to sale the house through a realestate agent but we changed our minds and decided to rent it out due to the bad economy which has also affected has also affected the housing market. We might decide to sale in the future but for now we are just renting it out.

If you are interested you can go by and view it but you will not be able to go inside cause the keys are here with me in West Africa (Nigeria). Here is the address of the house (8612 N Crawford Avenue Kansas City, MO 64153).

I await your reply.

Douglas Moen
+234-808-495-9016

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Craigslist Rental Scam Being Run From Nigeria?

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Rental Scams on Craigslist – Landlords Beware

The National Association of Realtors Are Not Leasing Agents

Landlords Better Get Ready For A New Accounting Headache With New Tax Plan

US Rental Vacancy Rate Highest in 23 Years

Top 10 Small Towns in the United States

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The Real Estate Bloggers

Craigslist Rental Scam Being Run From Nigeria?

Related posts:Rental Scams on Craigslist – Landlords Beware The National Association of Realtors Are Not Leasing Agents Landlords Better Get Ready For A New Accounting Headache With New Tax Plan US Rental Vacancy Rate Highest in 23 Years Top 10 Small Towns in the United States

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Related posts:
Rental Scams on Craigslist – Landlords Beware

The National Association of Realtors Are Not Leasing Agents

Landlords Better Get Ready For A New Accounting Headache With New Tax Plan

US Rental Vacancy Rate Highest in 23 Years

Top 10 Small Towns in the United States