Comments on: Beware the craigslist rental scam

By: Audra Winter

Audra Winter — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:40:17 +0000

I got the same email:

Re: $450 / 3br - 3FULL BATH HOUSE FIRST MONTH FREE FOR IMMEDIATE MOVE IN!!‏
From: Winifred Warren (biggylida2002@yahoo.com)
Sent: Sat 3/29/08 9:37 AM
To: me

Peace of the Lord Be with you and thanks for your email and interest in our home.I’m damian and i work for the Red Cross society. I and my family came to Africa on 3/16/08 in supporting long term needs for clean water in Kenya, Sudan, Mali, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Benin, Republic, Nigeria and Ethiopia - providing the everyday needs of more than 389,500 people. Also Committed to mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS, which kills more than 6,000 Africans everyday, we are supporting community garden programs for AIDS sufferers and their families.

We are renting our beautiful home ourselves because we lost the realtor about a week ago and the keys and documents were sent to us by his family.I will like you to note that we are not after the Money but we will only be renting the house to a clean,responsible,drug free person or people that can take a very care of the house since we are away.. Feel free too give me a call on our my cell phone because that the easiest way to get in touch with me or respond via email so i can forward you our rental application.

Thanks and GOD Bless
Awaiting your Response
0112348027208182
+2348027208182

So I decided it was too good to be true and looked up the phone number and it sent me to this website. I hadnt sent any money or anything like that, but geez what is wrong with people like this?

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By: BB

BB — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:53:19 +0000

i’ve been looking on craigslist lately for a place to rent and found two ”to good to be true houses” for rent only 900 a month for a 3br. I e-mailed both and got the same response we’re in Africa and my husband got a job and wont be here for 10 yrs. I took my keys and documents with me. I can send u the key to were ever u want it sent and you can western union the deposit. They main sign when it is a scam is when they ask you to western union the money.

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By: CeeCee

CeeCee — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:23:13 +0000

Argh - and another to watch for! How annoying!

From: Damian Long [mailto:damian60006@gmail.com]
Subject: Re: $800 / 2br - 2BA CONDO FIRST MONTH FREE IMMEDIATE MOVE IN!!

Peace of the Lord Be with you and thanks for your email and interest in our home.I’m Damian and i work for the Red Cross society. I and my family came to Africa on 3/16/08 in supporting long term needs for clean water in Kenya, Sudan, Mali, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Benin, Republic, Nigeria and Ethiopia - providing the everyday needs of more than 389,500 people.
Also Committed to mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS, which kills more than 6,000 Africans everyday, we are supporting community garden programs for AIDS sufferers and their families.

We are renting our beautiful home ourselves because we lost the realtor about a week ago and the keys and documents were sent to us by his family.Iwill like you to note that we are not after the Money but we will only be renting the house to a clean,responsible,drug free person or people that can take a very care of the house since we are away.. Feel free too give me a call on our my cell phone because that the easiest way to get in touch with me or respond via email so i can forward you our rental application.

Thanks and GOD Bless
Awaiting your Response
0112348027208182
+2348027208182

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By: CeeCee

CeeCee — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:59:17 +0000

Just got this from emailing a Craigslist post:

Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to hearing from you.My name is Rev David Halls the owner of the house you are making enquiry of.Actually I resided in the house with my family,such as my wife and my only daugther before and presently we had packed due to my transfer from my working place and now situated in England and presently my house is still available for rent including the utilities like hydro,heat washer and security,Everything in the home is well fully furnised.

Moreso Now,I went for a Crusade in West Africa and i will like you to get in touch with my wife in the state for more discussion as She is with the keys and the document to the house.Pls i want you to note that,i am a kind and honest man and also i spent alot on my property that i want to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute mentenance of this house and want you to treat it as your own,is that taken,it is not the money the main problem but want you to keep it tidy allthe time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i came for a check up.i dothat once in a while.I also want you to let me have trust in you as I always stand on my word.

Send my wife Tracie an Immediate message, on ( tracie.roxanne@gmail.com )and she will attends to you better on how to proceed

Thanks and you are welcome
Regards
Rev David Halls

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By: michelle

michelle — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:01:24 +0000

Here’s another good one:Sorry for the late reply, Had to get to the airport to pick my wife.The property is available for rent/lease right now.I must confess that you are a lucky person because I don’t really want to rent/lease the property but my wife has advised me to do so, due to our present location-transfer from Work to our West African office. My wife came here to join me with my kids after some months here, I will have to be here for 3 years. My mother is recuperating in the Bahamas from surgery. My wife come along with the keys and all the documents to the property because my mother is not around for now. The house can be viewed from the exterior pending the shipping of the keys and documents to the address you’ll have to provide below in the form.
Yeahh right! Thanks for the website
If you are really interested, I’d like you to fill in the attached Application-to-Rent Form, nothing unduly rigorous, just for record purposes!

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By: Drew

Drew — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:36:42 +0000

we almost got scammed tonite but it sounded “too good to be true” and set the hair on the back of my neck standing straight up! A ‘woman’ (Stacy Fagbo), who emailed in very broken english, supposedly out of the country getting remarried to a man named “Michael”…has a great house in Victoria BC for rent for good price, furnished, etc..didn’t ask my name or any info..just to send her the money…there was more but it was just too ridiculous sounding so we didn’t
3185 Cadboro Bay Rd.,
Victoria, BC

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By: robert s

robert s — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:30:09 +0000

Here is the newest onw as of march 17/2008
we called from craiaglist to view apartment from 600 drake the husband lives on a mission in africa his wife lives in florida they have a secretay you send money to david halls he is rev scott on a mission she is wife living in florida they will send key once they get the money by DHL the place is fully furnished for 700 dollars they never asked for damage deposit

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By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:51:39 +0000

Rental Scam what a joke

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By: JADEEAST

JADEEAST — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:39:04 +0000

Very good article in the Tyee.

http://thetyee.ca/News/2008/03/12/Evicted/

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By: Drachen

Drachen — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:14:46 +0000

From the WSJ via How the World Works blog.

“‘When another bank holds the mortgage and the mortgage payments are current, the home-equity lender is effectively powerless to collect the debt.’

But here’s the best part:

‘Unfortunately for home-equity lenders, many borrowers understand that pecking order, concluding there are few repercussions if they stop making payments on their home-equity loan. “Lenders are seeing people go delinquent on home equity who by all rights wouldn’t be expected to go delinquent,” said Dan Balkin of Wholesale Access, a Maryland research and consulting firm that specializes in the mortgage industry.’”

It’s nice to see that the big boys are starting to pay the price for reckless lending.

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By: Snark

Snark — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:31:43 +0000

small dingy 1 bedroom apartments ‘accidentally’ listed as 2 bedrooms and described as ‘huge’ and ‘bright’

What is it with the general quality of housing in Vancouver anyways? I mean across the spectrum, not just the cheapest apartments. Even if you’re looking at buying a ’starter’ condo in the 4-500k range, or rentals in the over 2k/ month level. There seems to be a reigning bad design aesthetic mixed with dampness that makes for supremely depressing apartments here.

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By: Snark

Snark — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:27:54 +0000

well somebodies buying condos in Vancouver right now, so I’m not going to make assumptions about the median financial intelligence level of this city.

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By: Ted

Ted — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:31:48 +0000

“I’ll courier you the key to the place and you send me money”

You fall for something like this, consider it a tax on your stupidity and accept the fact you’re in the highest tax bracket!

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By: MATHAMATICAL

MATHAMATICAL — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:35:31 +0000

People who are looking to rent please do watch out. Two months ago when I was looking for a rental place I went to craigslist. The first two people I contacted on craigslist where scam artists. Both people told me I had the place and I just need to provide the damage depoist. That’s when I knew it was a scam because who in their right mind would give you the place without meeting you. Also, when I asked to see the place, they said they had other people lined up to take it so I had to give the money right away or else I would lose it. Both places where asking $900 for a one bedroom in Yaletown. If it’s too good to be true then it is.

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