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.
WE ALMOST GOT SCAMMED TOO..THIS WAS. 3/4/2012
thanks for your email and interest in renting my house..I am Gregory S Lambeth ,the owner of the house you are making inquiry 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 700 USD (rent already includes utilities).More so Now, i am currently in the (West Africa)for an international Christian follower’s crusade..Pls 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 (5324 129th Pl NE, Marysville, WA 98271)
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. New fridge I believe its absolutely a perfect home for you and your family.Utilities include Water,Trash,Sewer,Gas Etc…
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:__________? 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 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 $700 (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…my number is (011234-708-668-8681 or +234-708-668-8681).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…
God Bless, Gregory S Lambeth
[email protected]
i ran into this scam too. unfortunately, my wife who suffers from severe depression was the one who actually dealt with these people. we were in desperate need of a place to move since our lease was up and we already gave notice. my wife was so upset when she discovered it was a scam, she tried to commit suicide. i emailed back and told them this, hoping it would make them think, or at least feel bad…but i doubt if they felt any remorse at all.
That is terrible. How have things been since?
I sent 2 separate inquiries regarding property for rent and the replies to both were exactly the same. My gut instinct told me right away it was some sort of scam. I never replied back. This is the response to my 2nd inquiry on craigslist.
Hello!
Thanks for your email.. The house is still available. I decided to rent the house because we are going to spend more time here in Abuja, about 3 years.. Let me start by introducing myself.I must confess that I am very new in this landlord business..However, My name is PEET ANTHONY, I and my Husband own the house, Due to her job as a Medical Doctor, she works for American Red Cross Lutheran Hospital Donor Center, and now she have been transfer to Abuja to work in a branch in Abuja. We spent less time in the States so we could not get a hold on any Realtor to handle this rent issue, although it was when We knew how long we are going to stay in Abuja that We decided to rent out the house. However, the initial plan was to sale out the house. which we tried, but sometimes the agents inflates the prize and it takes longer to sell. The utilities are included in the rent, because of this reason and more we need a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money , but want it to be clean and for you to take it as if it were yours.
Information about the house below:
The rent is: $700 Security Deposit: $700
3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom
Address: 3030 Tremont Avenue, Davenport IA 52803
City: Davenport
State: IA
Zip code:52803
Sq. footage: 1,826
Pet are also Welcome.
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
RENT APPLICATION FORM
FIRST NAME:__________________
MIDDLE NAME:_________________ ?
LAST NAME:__________________ ?
PROFESSION:________________ ?
(CELL) PHONE (____)__________
(WORK) PHONE (____)__________ ?
(HOME) PHONE (____)__________ ?
KIDS_____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY________
PRESENT ADDRESS:_____________________ ?
CITY:_______________ ?
STATE:______________ ?
ZIP CODE:____________ ?
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN?______________ ?
IF YOU HAVE A PET,
NAME OF PET:_____________ ?
KIND OF PETS:_____________ ?
…………………………………………………
Comment
…………………………………………………
TAKE NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE BY AND SEE MY PLACE FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT IF DRIVE BY THE HOME YOU MAY SEE A SIGN THERE, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT IT BELONGS TO OUR PREVIOUS AGENT SO YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT AND DON'T HAVE TO CALL THEM BECAUSE THEY TO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE HOME ANYMORE! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RENTING GET THE APPLICATION FORM FILLED OUT AND SEND IT BACK TO ME YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT ME @ +234-812-493-7462 or 011-234-812-493-7462.
Best Wishes.
I'm sorry, I am looking for a place as well. But not in a million years would I ever fall for this and send money. This first happened to me a year ago, it has happened everyday that I have questioned a rental since then. Why would anyone ever send money for a place they have not seen the inside of?? Or just done a little research??
I almost got scammed as well this past week
Thank you for showing interest in our house.I Mrs Emily Hallum own the 3 bedroom’s /House.It was due to our transfer that made me and my husband to leave the house and we decided to give it out for rent. We are looking for a responsible person that can take good care of our house as we are not after the money for the rent but want our house kept clean at all times 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) in our new house and also with the keys of the house in Oxford.We tried looking for an agent that we would hand over the documents to before we left but could not see which is why we took it along with us.
I and my husband came over to West Africa ( Nigeria ) for missionary work, so i hope you will promise to take good care of our house. kindly get back to me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in renting home. Hope you are okay with the price of US $700 and security deposit of $650 with hydro, heat laundry facilities, air condition and so on.
RENT APPLICATION FORM
Full Name:
Home Phone
Date of Birth:
Other Phone
Current Address:
Reasons for Leaving:
Are you married:
How many people will be living in the house:
Do you have a pet:
Do you have a car:
Occupation:
How Long You Want the Lease:
Move In Date:
When do you intended sending me the deposit:
When do you intended receiving the keys and document of the house:
In case you see any sign board, they are the Realtor in charge of my house before I decided to take over by my self. I am no more working with them and don't bother to contact them because formerly i wanted to sell the house before me and my Lovely Family now decided to rent it out instead of selling it out.
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.Awaiting your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you. We may not see, yet we are only putting everything into Gods hand, kindly do not let us down in your taking care of our property and God bless you more as you do this Amen.
The house is available now and you can move in whenever you are ready, we look forward to hearing from you soon.Here is the location of the house ( 142- Breckenridge-Dr-Oxford-MS-38655 ).
You can call or text me on +2348055796161 or 0112348055796161
Kind Regard
DC Metro Area – 3/19/20
Luckily we didn't fall into the trap of sending money, but like many of the above posts, there was a rental on craigslist that seemed like a great deal. Below are the emails I got back after I inquired about the rental. She actually attached photos of herself and family doing their "mission" work. Obviously its not her or the people that live in the house. Crazy!
Hello
Thanks for your email,l personally own the house i want my property to be well taken good care of, there are some rules and regulation i do give out to tenant willing to rent my house please don't disrespect my order,if you are capable of renting my house the rules and regulation goes this way…………You must keep my house clean including the surrounding, you must know how to use the stove to avoid fire outbreak,you must not disturb the neighbor.l decide to rent out the property due to our transfer to (West Africa)for a Missionary Work in a church here named World Mission.formally the house was for sale but my husband advise me not to sell it anymore and now l want to rent the house for you.am looking for someone to move in asap and we need someone to take good care of the property due to the far distance.we are not after the money and don't be surprise if you find the home with another site and different price because i planned to rent it through Real estate but the realtor are not serious as they have a lot of house to lease and they added some money to rent my house which is not flexible for people to rent.have this in mind you must know the kind of person i am,am giving you this rules because of what corresponded between me and my last tenant, you can drive by the house anytime to take a look at the area and surrounding For now we are looking for 2 or 3 years lease or rather lets us know how long you wish to stay.let me know if you are still interested to enable me forward the Rental Questionnaire for you to fill out…
PROPERTY DESCRIPTI6N……….
Number of bedroom:5
Number of baths:3.5
Square footage:3,490
Pets are welcome!!!
Rent;$1550
Refundable security Deposit;$1550
House Address;2034 N Taylor Street Arlington, VA 22207
thanks and God bless you
Deborah A Thomas & family
Hello,
We have been searching for the right person to occupy the home in our absent which I believe God will answer my prayer very soon towards my property. in the rent /Washer/Dryer/heat/electricity/ We plan to stay here for 4years or more I might also decide to move back to my new renovated home upon my arrival.Filling out of the Questionnaire will determined if you are the right person to occupy my house,we will send another email to let you know our final decision.I have attach some picture of myself and my family in Nigeria for our missionary work. l can be reach @0112347044306715 0r +2347044306715
Rental Information……
Full Name?
Full Address?
Cell Phone Number?
Home phone Number?
Work Phone Number?
Date of Birth?
Are you married?
How many people will be living in the house?
picture of you and your family?
Do you have a pet?
Do you have a car?
Occupation?
What is your monthly income?
Reference Contact Name and Address if Any?
Why are you moving?
When do you intend to pay the deposit?
When do you intend Moving in?
Any Police problem?
Thanks and remain blessed..
BELOW PICTURES OF MY MISSIONARY WORK
This is SO TRUE. I have recently been in contact with the following person regarding a Craigslist posting about an Okemos, MI rental. PLEASE BE AWARE! I have been reading the posts, and it looks to be some time has passed, but be aware that this occured on March 26, 2012. See what is being sent from a Melissa Sinkhorn:
Address this person is using that is for rent is: 4053 Highland Terrace, Okemos, MI 48864 (seperate comment with additional information)
Additional comment:
*[email protected]
* http://lansing.craigslist.org/apa/2920450227.html
Good day Applicant,
This is to acknowledge the receipt of your inquiry email to my posting on craigslist regarding my house for rent. I do apologise for not including my name on the ad which is for security purpose as a result of the numerous scam being practised on craigslist. I am Melissa Sinkhorn the owner of the house you are making enquiry off.
The house in question has been up for sale because, we hardly had the chance to settle in the States due to the nature of my job but presently, we have decided to put it on rent for $700 per month reason because i have been officially transferred. My family and I are now based in Africa, Nigeria to be precise and I am working with the CAMFED in colaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). You can visit our link ( http://us.camfed.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hom… ) as to see how steadfast and dedicated we are, working to make sure the words of God is not just heard but adopted into our daily activities.
Additional comment on scam:
I want to use this medium to tell you more about the house because, i have spent so much in its maintenance and that was the reason i wanted to sell it off. so I will solicit for your absolute maintenance of the house as i want to be confident you would take care of the property as if it were yours. Looking from the pictures i posted, you would see how beautiful it is and i am certainly sure you will love the inside when you finally get in there. Do endeavour to drive by at your convenience as to see it physically as i was unable to drop the keys. Reason for this is because, i wasn't really familiar with my neighbours living around due to the nature of my job. It has a dramatic entry foyer with ceramic floor. Utilities include Water, Trash, Sewer and Gas.
Move in cost: $700
Britishisms are also a dead giveaway: ise instead of ize or -our instead of -or. some jackie vegas offered someone else’s $3700 rental for just $1000 in Boca Raton.
PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR CREDIT HISTORY:
Have you declared bankruptcy in the past seven (7) years? Yes___________ No____________
Have you ever been evicted from a rental residence? Yes___________ No____________
Have you had two or more late rental payments in the past year? Yes___________ No____________
Have you ever willfully or intentionally refused to pay rent when due? Yes___________ No____________
PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION:
Your Status:
Full Time _____Part Time _____Student _____Unemployed
Employer:
Dates employed:
Employed as:
Annual Income:
PLEASE LIST YOUR REFERENCES:
Personal Reference or Emergency Contact:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Please do understand that, a refundable deposit of $700 MUST be put down first before receiving the keys and paper work from me as to secure the house for you while you go through.
I will be looking forward to your details so that I can present it to my family, pray over it (because I consult the Almighty God before making any decision and if accepted, and have them stored in my file for the purpose of issuing the receipts to you and contacting you.
Feel free to contact me at +234-810-108-2750 or 011-234-810-108-2750 as i will be waiting to hear from you.
Remain blessed,
Melissa.
i've been looking for a rental home for a few weeks and have run across several of these scams. It definitely bums me out when I think I've found a nice place and it turns out to be B.S. Now when I get emails from the Nigeria "missionaries" I send them back a nice F U. It's usually an email pointing out the fact that they can't even speak proper english or some kind of ominious reply suggesting that something terrible is going to happen to them and their family. I'm sure it won't stop the scams but it makes me feel better and I get a laugh out of it. If only I could find a way to make them get hit by lightening when they read my reply… It's really annoying that they use church work as their ploy, maybe God will inflict some karma. Don't ever falll for this crap!!! No legit business person would request money first in exchange for something like keys to a house. It's ridiculous. Use common sense.
I had a nice home my wife and I went to go see here in Las Vegas as well as many others. Had real addresses with no contact information. Real CL renters if you want responses, add your phone number. Here is the email I received back. Here is the USA we call water, well umm water, not HYDRO! The letter starts below with a Nigerian phone number.
Thanks for your email and interest in renting my house..We are Villarreal Jaime C & Martha E,the owner of the house you are making inquiry of…Actually I resided in the house with my family, my wife and my only daughter before but presently we have moved out due to my transfer from my work now in Warsaw,Poland. Presently my house is still available for rent, (rent already includes utilities).More so Now, i am currently in the (West Africa) for an international Christian follower’s crusade..Pls 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. Me and my wife bought the house when we got married. When we left the state 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. 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 rented 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 of the property. The house includes utilities like Heat, A/C in wall/window, Hydro, cable, Garbage Disposal, Fireplace , Fridge, stove, Dishwasher, Dryer, Breakfast Bar, Dining Table and Sofa Set,Refrigerator,Canopied deck overlooking nature.,internet access e.t.c. because of this reason and more we need a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money , but want it to be clean and for you to take it as if it were yours.
This is the address of the House (1109 Caper Tree Court, Las Vegas NV 89123)
The rent is: $800
Security Deposit: $800
For this 3Bedroom Home.
Pets Allowed:Dogs and Cats.
Available :Available Now for move in.
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:__________?
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?______________?
HOW SOON CAN U MAKE THE DEPOSIT PAYMENT____________?
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 in case of issuing the receipt to 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 on this 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. Feel free to get back to me for more information and arrangements on how to get the keys and other necessary documents that would be delivered to you. The house will be available for rent for a period of 5 years so you have a choice of deciding how long you intend staying there…
YOU CAN CALL ME ON THESE NUMBERS:+2348027354596 or 0112348027354596
THANKS AND STAY BLESSED
omg i got the same one but different names… I can't believe this I'm so happy coming to see this site and seeing your post thank you so much now i have no more doubts i am going to refuse it now..
From: [email protected]
Good day Applicant,
This is to acknowledge the receipt of your inquiry email to my posting on craigslist regarding my house for rent. I do apologise for not including my name on the ad which is for security purpose as a result of the numerous scam being practised on craigslist. I am Martha C Wylie, the owner of the house you are making enquiry off.
The house in question has been up for sale because, we hardly had the chance to settle in the States due to the nature of my job but presently, we have decided to put it on rent for $650 per month reason because i have been officially transferred. My family and I are now based in Africa, Nigeria to be precise and I am working with the CAMFED in colaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). You can visit our link ( http://us.camfed.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hom… ) as to see how steadfast and dedicated we are, working to make sure the words of God is not just heard but adopted into our daily activities.
I want to use this medium to tell you more about the house because, i have spent so much in its maintenance and that was the reason i wanted to sell it off. so I will solicit for your absolute maintenance of the house as i want to be confident you would take care of the property as if it were yours. Looking from the pictures i posted, you would see how beautiful it is and i am certainly sure you will love the inside when you finally get in there. Do endeavour to drive by at your convenience as to see it physically as i was unable to drop the keys. Reason for this is because, i wasn't really familiar with my neighbours living around due to the nature of my job. It has a dramatic entry foyer with ceramic floor. Utilities include Water, Trash, Sewer and Gas.
Move in cost: $650
To further proceed, fill out the Rental Application Form below:
Anticipated move date of:
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF:
Full Name:
Date of Birth:
Email Address (optional):
Home Phone:
Cel Phone:
Other Phone:
Co-Applicant Name (If Any):
List All Pets:
How soon can you put down the refundable deposit ($650):
PLEASE GIVE RESIDENTIAL HISTORY:
Current Address:
Month/Year Moved In:
Reasons for Leaving:
Owner/Agent Name:
Contact Number:
PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR CREDIT HISTORY:
Have you declared bankruptcy in the past seven (7) years?Yes___________ No____________
Have you ever been evicted from a rental residence?Yes___________ No____________
Have you had two or more late rental payments in the past year?Yes___________ No____________
Have you ever willfully or intentionally refused to pay rent when due?
Yes___________ No____________
PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION:
Your Status: Full Time _____Part Time _____Student _____Unemployed
Employer:
Dates employed:
Employed as:
Annual Income:
PLEASE LIST YOUR REFERENCES:
Personal Reference or Emergency Contact:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Please do understand that, a refundable deposit of $650 MUST be put down first before receiving the keys and paper work from me as to secure the house for you while you go through.
I will be looking forward to your details so that I can present it to my family, pray over it (because I consult the Almighty God before making any decision and if accepted, and have them stored in my file for the purpose of issuing the receipts to you and contacting you.
Feel free to contact me at +234-8027366566 or +234-011-802-736-6566 as i will be waiting to hear from you.
Remain blessed,
Martha.
From: [email protected]
Good day Applicant,
This is to acknowledge the receipt of your inquiry email to my posting on craigslist regarding my house for rent. I do apologise for not including my name on the ad which is for security purpose as a result of the numerous scam being practised on craigslist. I am Martha C Wylie, the owner of the house you are making enquiry off.
The house in question has been up for sale because, we hardly had the chance to settle in the States due to the nature of my job but presently, we have decided to put it on rent for $650 per month reason because i have been officially transferred. My family and I are now based in Africa, Nigeria to be precise and I am working with the CAMFED in colaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). You can visit our link ( http://us.camfed.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hom… ) as to see how steadfast and dedicated we are, working to make sure the words of God is not just heard but adopted into our daily activities.
I want to use this medium to tell you more about the house because, i have spent so much in its maintenance and that was the reason i wanted to sell it off. so I will solicit for your absolute maintenance of the house as i want to be confident you would take care of the property as if it were yours. Looking from the pictures i posted, you would see how beautiful it is and i am certainly sure you will love the inside when you finally get in there. Do endeavour to drive by at your convenience as to see it physically as i was unable to drop the keys. Reason for this is because, i wasn't really familiar with my neighbours living around due to the nature of my job. It has a dramatic entry foyer with ceramic floor. Utilities include Water, Trash, Sewer and Gas.
Move in cost: $650
To further proceed, fill out the Rental Application Form below:
Anticipated move date of:
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF:
Full Name:
Date of Birth:
Email Address (optional):
Home Phone:
Cel Phone:
Other Phone:
Co-Applicant Name (If Any):
List All Pets:
How soon can you put down the refundable deposit ($650):
PLEASE GIVE RESIDENTIAL HISTORY:
Current Address:
Month/Year Moved In:
Reasons for Leaving:
Owner/Agent Name:
Contact Number:
PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR CREDIT HISTORY:
Have you declared bankruptcy in the past seven (7) years?Yes___________ No____________
Have you ever been evicted from a rental residence?Yes___________ No____________
Have you had two or more late rental payments in the past year?Yes___________ No____________
Have you ever willfully or intentionally refused to pay rent when due?
Yes___________ No____________
PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION:
Your Status: Full Time _____Part Time _____Student _____Unemployed
Employer:
Dates employed:
Employed as:
Annual Income:
PLEASE LIST YOUR REFERENCES:
Personal Reference or Emergency Contact:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Please do understand that, a refundable deposit of $650 MUST be put down first before receiving the keys and paper work from me as to secure the house for you while you go through.
I will be looking forward to your details so that I can present it to my family, pray over it (because I consult the Almighty God before making any decision and if accepted, and have them stored in my file for the purpose of issuing the receipts to you and contacting you.
Feel free to contact me at +234-8027366566 or +234-011-802-736-6566 as i will be waiting to hear from you.
Remain blessed,
Martha.
One man I tracked down in Lagos, Nigeria and his name is: Odewale Olebode. He is a dirt bag. A Scammer.
Thank GOD I found this article. I was in the exact same situation as most of the people on here. Good thing my husband refused to let me follow through with it because he sensed something fishy. I sensed it too but fell in love with the house and refused to believe it was a scam. I got on the computer to find countless emails from the guy, telling me to hurry up and call him. Of course that's when I googled "rent scam Africa" and sure enough, this dude was out to scam me. THANK GOD I did not send him a dime. If it's too good to be true, it usually is. I'm going to count my blessings.
omg if its true then i think i am being scam but today i am going to check the house and going to ask the neighborhood about this person who has been emailing me this is to crazy.. house is $850 for 4bdr 3 Bth and 2236sqft….
Oh God, I think I am dealing with one right now. Thank God I read this.
I was just taken for $600.00. An ad for a place in Milwaukee, Wi. This guys name was Lester J Kunst. said he was a missionary, in Nigeria, Lagos. Renting a house for 300.00 a month, could not sell the home. After I sent a sec. dep. and first months rent. He wanted 150.00 more. He told me I would get the second month free, thats when I said "what" "you are scamming me" He even sent me a western union number saying he sent a refund with no money attatched. Wow, they are clever!! Go with your gut people, I should have!!
I cannot believe what I’m reading! All of this that was said above is true and my husband and I were a victim of this today. I found a house on Trulia.com. This is a legit website. I then proceeded to ask for additional information via email. The next day I was emailed by a man who claimed to be the owner of the house but had to leave to Washington for the lords work…blah blah, etc! My first thought was “Wow, this man has broken English/ bad gramer. For some reason I went along with it. I trusted what he was saying. Shit! I thought he was like tight with the man upstairs and all, lol! Anyway, he then sent me an email with an application. At this point my dumbass fills out the application even though it was attached to a PDF file. I wasn’t able to fill in the blanks. I work on this bunk ass application for an hour. Meanwhile my kids are all cranky and what not cause this guy has me explaining how I will maintain his hard working property. He wants me to explain how I’ll tidy up the place and all. Flipping’ suck balls dude! I’m pissed right! I’m all thinking of these clever little lies on how I’m clean when I have two year old twins and a four year old, bahaha! The next day he sends me an email stating congratulations you just got approved to move in to my 3 bedroom hard working home! And check this out he says all bills included. At this point my husband tells me that he has mixed feelings and this so called agent would not answer the phone. He also said to send $700 via Western union with a zip code. Now, we both catch on. Here’s the awesome part of my story. I drive over to the house. When I pulled up there were three cars in the driveway. The house looked just they way it did in the pictures. Now, I’m walking up to the door. A man answers. I asked him if he was Robert jones and if he had been emailing me. The man said that he was in fact Robert jones but NO he was not emailing me. I forwarded all the emails to the real Mr. Jones and the man called him( the fake) and told him he was the cops. Long story short the house/fake ad was taken off the website, Trulia. The house was for sale too by the real owners. They were like “what, someone’s trying to rent my house.” lol! We both are going all the way with this even if we don’t get any justice out of it. I spent hours at the police station. I filed a bunch of reports. The cops said its been happening a lot. I am also putting alerts on all my accounts, social, credit report, everything. I never gave the man my social or account info. He never asked for that. I looked up a word translator website and fucking cussed this guy out in his own language. I made him feel like shit and told him he will never amount to anything, he needed to take English classes, that he was probably poor and starving, he’s going to get ass raped in prison, etc! I tour him a new one. I’m sure he’ll never respond but he did respond back to the real Mr. Jones and called him a ‘motherfucker’ in hindi language at this point we knew he was from another country and part of a crime. I’m so glad in about to move although it’s not to a house, lol! I’m freaked out that the bitch has my address, name, and date of birth. The cop said that’s two out of three things they need for indentity theft. Happy sleeping cause I sure as hell am not! I’m going to be wide awake sitting on my couch with my 9, just in case! Hopefully, that’ll never happen I pray and pray!
Here is what the guy told me on our first email.
Hello,
Thanks for the email. My name is Robert , I own the wonderful 3br – Single-Family Home . And I also want you to know that it was due to my missionary work transfer that made me want to leave the house with an intention of giving it out for rent. I am looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as i am not after the money for the rent but want the property to be kept clean at all time as it is our hard-earned property. If you are honestly interested and will absolutely maintain my property,(treating it like it belongs to you) as i hope i can put my trust and confidence in you because i will come to check on my property yearly. I initially wanted to put the house for sale but had a second thought to rather put it up for rent, because as a matter of fact l will be coming back home in the next 1yr,and would need a place to live in. you are welcome to the house at your convenient but you will only be able to see the property from the outside for now and do get back to us me soon as that is done ok..
Presently, I am here in the Seattle WA , doing the Lord’s duty for humanity, for through our direct service to mankind, the blessings and promises of God will manifest. The house vital informative documents and the entrance keys to the house are with me, for i try to look for dependable agent to handle the rent but could not find due to the limited time we had before leaving. Mostly we do not want our property to be given to any sort of person to avoid damages and troubles.You can go over or drive by to see the house ok, but you can only view from outside for now hope you understand , so I hope you will promise us to take very good care of the house. So get back to me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps the experience and your present living condition.
PETS ARE ALLOWED
Security Deposit : $700
Monthly Rent : $1000
Application Fee: $0
Here is the address to the house: 22107 Yorkhaven, San Antonio TX 78259.
Lease Term : As long as you wished
SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED LET ME KNOW SO I CAN SEND YOU THE APPLICATION FORM FOR YOU TO FILL.
From: Trulia on behalf of Vanessa Vaello
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, August 4, 2012 12:07 PM
Subject: Referral for your listing at 22107 Yorkhaven
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Hi Robert P Jones Sr,
[email protected] is interested in your listing at 22107 Yorkhaven.
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From: Vanessa Vaello
Email: [email protected]
Message:
I am interested in viewing this property. Please send me more information about 22107 Yorkhaven, San Antonio TX 78259. Thank you.
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Vanessa Vaello is interested in your listing:
22107 Yorkhaven, San Antonio TX
$1,000
3 br, 2 ba
Single-Family Home
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Well unfortunatly for me I was a day late on finding this site….I want everyone out there to know that the same scam is still up and running for the Indiana area.As much as I tried to talk myself out of it all I was in desperate need of a home and fell for the religious part of it all hook line and sinker…I kept telling myself a man of God can be trusted ha ha ha.I lost alot of money I did not have on this and now risk even more because of it.Now we are looking at eviction for the place I am now in as well. So I have worked as hard as I can to stop this from happening again in my community but am at a loss.I know my money is gone forever along with my pride for being such a fool…. I hope nobody else goes through this…Check everything before you are also a victim.Call your local offices and find out who really owns the house.demand to be seen in person and that should have been my red flag but I had searched my local newspaper for a place for my 4 children and my parents and found nothing I was desperate and now i am in worse shape then I was because I lost all the money we had saved for moving and christmas…..BEWARE they are everywhere
I was almost scammed by a woman named Sharon Vaughn she claimed her and her husband were working with UNICEF going around the world helping starving children and stuff I was so happy one bedroom apt for $700 a month including utilities the listing was in Craigslist under “My Property For Rent In Fairfax Va. PLEASE BE AWARE do not be fooled like I ALMOST was. She supposedly had the keys with her in Nigeria. My fiancé knew right off the bat it was a scam
The easiest way to avoid these scams is to pay for a rent safe report http://www.rentsafereport.com
-Who really owns the home?
- Are the mortgage payments being made?
-Are they going to foreclose or short sale the home?
it happened to my family and I ….
we seriously were going to send the money..
we knew it was too suspiciously..
after calling around and looking into history of the home
we soon found out it was someone else's home, who were trying to sell
their home… so these nigerians are just on craigslist to find whats the latest
sales to copy and paste it differently..and from then on they start scamming
with an fake email, number, and their "vacation away for god"
people are learning new ways to do scams and we are simply becoming blinded by
their lies…. this gives us an eye opener ! so people be AWARE and don't be dumb..
im glad we figured things out before it was too late !
I am sorry to hear this. I just lost $1400 to these scammers I cant believe I was so dumb. I learned my lesson in the hardest way! I should have known it was too good to be true and I shouldnt have sent him that much money at all! I feel like a fool and its awful that they use Gods name to gain your trust. They will have someone to answer to when time comes and I hope God doesnt show mercy to them, They screwed over alot of peoples lives. I am a young mother and now stuck in a hrad place with no options.
We actually fell for this and went to send the money but the people at amscott stopped us thank goodness. Told us it was a scam and that they won’t send the money. We were desperate to find a home because the one we lived in was a horrible place. I do not look on craiglist anymore!
The lesson here is to always be careful with any real estate deals and offers. Be sure to double check everything, including the track record of the property and buyer. You can never be too sure these days.
land sale nigerias I am going to there . It's really nice place.
My family and I were almost scammed this past week…Below is the E-mails..people please beware. The they are still out there.
Hi,
Thanks for your email and interest in renting my house…I am the owner of the property available for rent…I just traveled to West Africa for a program about Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education which is taking place in three major countries including Kenya, Sudan and Nigeria for a period of 5-7 years…Presently the house is still available for rent (utilities inclusive) and the monthly rent is pro-rated.
The house is very much available for rent…I am actually looking for a tenant willing to take good care of the house in our absence. This is the reason the price we are offering is far below standard rental price and for you to know that we are not after the rental fee but the utmost care and maintenance of the property. Though there may be no way we can be sure of the right person to occupy the house because we won’t be able to meet prior to handling the keys and the documents to occupy the house and also run credit checks. So if you know you can take good care of the house and handle it like yours then I will be more than willing to let you rent the house…The monthly rent is $1100 including utilities and the security deposit (which is refundable) is $1100 to move in as soon as you are ready. Also, due to my penchant for pets, there is no pet restriction but pets must generally be well behaved.
House Address : 5414 NW 52nd Ave, Coconut Creek FL 33073
SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE RENT APPLICATION FORM BELOW
RENT APPLICATION FORM.
Name ( Surname/First name/ Last name ): __________?
Phone #: __________?
E-mail: __________?
Best time to call: __________?
How many proposed occupants: __________?
List all in addition to yourself including approx age: __________?
Present Address: __________?
City/State: __________?
Will You Have Pets: __________?
Please Describe Breed, size: __________?
Personality of Pet: __________?
Preferred Move in Date: __________?
Length of Previous Tenancy: __________?
How soon can deposit be available: __________?
Present Occupation : __________?
Are You A Section 8 Applicant: __________?
Do You Run A Business From Home: __________?
If So What Kind Of Business: __________?
Do You Work Late Night: __________?
Do You Smoke: __________?
Do You Drink: __________?
After filling in the rental form, i will appreciate if you could just drive by and take a look at the property. Looking forward to hearing from you with all the details so i can have it filed up when issuing the receipt, as well as contacting you and to discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you. The deposit is refundable if at the end you are no longer interested but i am giving you the benefit of doubt that you would definitely love it. The keys and documents have been packaged and as soon as we reach an agreement regarding the deposit i would be sending them over to your present address so you can start moving. The house will be available for rent for a period of 5 years so you have a choice of deciding how long you intend staying…Feel free to call me for more information and arrangements on how to get the keys and other necessary documents delivered to you…You can reach me on +234-818-396-4178 OR 011-234-818-396-4178.
Thanks and Remain Blessed.
MARTHA MOSS COATS
2) Greetings!
Thanks for your email.. The house is still available. I decided to rent the house because we are going to spend more time here in GLENDALE, CA, about 4 years.. Let me start by introducing myself.I must confess that I am very new in this landlord business..However, My name is Fernando Benavides. I and my wife own the house, Due to her job as a Medical Doctor, she works for American Red Cross Lutheran Hospital Donor Center, and now she have been transfer to GLENDALE, CA to work in a branch in GLENDALE. We spent less time in the States so we could not get a hold on any Realtor to handle this rent issue, although it was when We knew how long we are going to stay in GLENDALE that We decided to rent out the house. However, the initial plan was to sale out the house. which we tried, but sometimes the agents inflates the prize and it takes longer to sell. The utilities are included in the rent, because of this reason and more we need a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money , but want it to be clean and for you to take it as if it were yours.
Information about the house below:
the rent is: $900 Security Deposit: $600
4 Bedroom 2 Bathroom
House Address:4706 NW 114th Dr, Coral Springs FL 33076
Pet are also Welcome.
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
RENT APPLICATION FORM
FIRST NAME:__________________
MIDDLE NAME:_________________ ?
LAST NAME:__________________ ?
PROFESSION:________________ ?
(CELL) PHONE (____)__________
(WORK) PHONE (____)__________ ?
(HOME) PHONE (____)__________ ?
KIDS_____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY________
PRESENT ADDRESS:_____________________ ?
CITY:_______________ ?
STATE:______________ ?
ZIP CODE:____________ ?
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN?______________ ?
IF YOU HAVE A PET,
NAME OF PET:_____________ ?
KIND OF PETS:_____________ ?
…………………………………………………
Comment
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TAKE NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE BY AND SEE MY PLACE FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT IF DRIVE BY THE HOME YOU MAY SEE A SIGN THERE, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT IT BELONGS TO OUR PREVIOUS AGENT SO YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT AND DON’T HAVE TO CALL THEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE HOME ANYMORE! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RENTING GET THE APPLICATION FORM FILLED OUT AND SEND IT BACK TO ME YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT ME @ (760) 469-9216 ALSO TEXT
Fernando Benavides
I would never send money without fully investigating a deal like this. Good things do happen though so never pass up on a good deal, just make sure to do the proper research. Went to see one of these “rentals” today…turns out a cop lives there. Ironic! My wife and I laughed and were relieved.