1) Ezekiel Linsey
“We are looking for a responsible person or family to occupy and maintain the apartment until we are back home,” wrote the person who proclaimed to be the owner, Ezekiel Linsey, in an e-mail. “Myself and wife just traveled to Africa for a program called Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education, the program is taking place in three major countries in Africa which are Rep. of Benin, South Africa and Nigeria.”
2) Shantal Petersen (more…)
A local real estate brokerage in Greesnboro, NC received this question when their property was one price in one ad and significantly lower in another. The problem that the real estate company is running into is that rental scammers especially in Nigeria are re-posting rental ads by legitimate property managers and landlords at bargain rent prices hoping that they can scam you out of a security deposit and upfront rent. A similar example of this happened in Memphis, TN. A renter was tempted by a rental scammer who advertised a house for rent that was legitimately for sale. The scammer even made up a phony email address with the owners name in a attempt to appear to be the real owner. See dave.erickson34@yahoo.com - Watch Out For This Scammer for more details. (more…)
Paul Barnes called a Dover, DE man about a house for sale in Smyrna, DE. Barnes claimed to be a real estate investor who wanted to buy the property and turn it into a rental. The man who owned the property was out of town, but told Barnes to go ahead and look at the property. Barnes looked at the property, and took it one step forward by renting it out. Fake documents provided by Barnes claimed JLR Group owned the house. He made off with $5,400 in the transaction.
Even residents in the beautiful state of Hawaii can become targets for the Nigerian rental scam. A family rented a house in Kailua, HI from a person who posted a ad on Craigslist. However, the real owner was not the one who posted the ad on Craigslist, and the real owner was not the one collecting rent (You have to wonder how they got keys to get into the place). The property was originally posted for rent on militarybyowner.com. Sources in Hawaii believe the scammers appear to be from Nigeria.
There is a real Dave Erickson trying to sell his house, but he is not at that email address. If a person from the above email address responds to your inquiry of a home, don’t trust them and don’t send them any money.
The first potential victim is the real homeowner. The second potential victim are renters like Casey Reves. “Got on the internet and just typed up houses for rent on yahoo search.” Reves thought she found her dream house. (more…)
A couple in Sacramento were very surprised to find that their home which is for sale had a family living in it. The family produced a rental agreement that they signed with man who posted it for rent on Craigslist. Moreover, the family had been paying him $1,000 a month to live in the house that the man did not own!
Sacramento police offered these words of advice to potential renters:
Before entering into a rental agreement, police advise that the potential renter do some homework.
“The best thing is to do research on the place,” Leong said.
Keys are not a sign of legitimacy, as a scam artist could have had the locks changed.
Instead, potential renters can go online to the county recorder’s office to see who owns the house. They also can ask the alleged landlord for a property deed.
And if the landlord keeps his or her distance - refusing to offer a phone number, for example, or giving a P.O. Box - “that should be a red flag, too,” Leong said.
Dr. Ablert Missbichler was nice enough to make me this handsome offer.
Now, I know this not a rental scam, but it is definitely a scam, and it is put together by the same people who put together the online rental scams.
From: Dr. Albert Missbichle [mailto:AlbertMissbichler@coreylayton.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2009 3:46 PM
Subject: *****SPAM***** Urgent Telegraphic / Swift Transfer of: USD$150 Million.
1th February, 2009
th February, 2009
Dear Sir/ Madam.
Urgent Telegraphic / Swift Transfer of: USD$150 Million.
I got your contact from January, 2009 worldwide database and yellow pages encyclopedia after due consideration believing you are highly respected personality. Although, I do not know to what extent you are familiar with events, hence I decided to contact you.
(more…)
Phillis Powers, 52, Sandra Barney, 54, Carver Barney, 57, and Dennis Eugene, 49, are wanted by Sacramento police for alleged criminal trespass. Sgt. Norm Leong said all four people conspired to unlawfully enter the house on 3700 Clubside Lane.
A community in Sacramento, CA spoiled the efforts of 4 rental scammers in an attempt to lease a vacant foreclosed home. Neighbors noticed some suspicious activity going on at the vacant house and called police. Police arrived to find a relative of the Barney’s who cleaning out the house.
From MSNBC.com, Casey Guthrie found a house that he wanted to rent in Milford, CT. He emailed the person who posted the ad to find out more about the property; however, he was given all the classic signs of a Nigerian rental scam. Below are some dead giveaways from the scammer in this particular instance:
“I contacted the people and they informed me they were from Nigeria and they were missionaries,” Guthrie said.
Strike 1 - Missionaries in Nigeria
They emailed him a rental application. The emails contained lots of biblical quotes and stories from Africa.
Strike 2 - Biblical quotes to attempt to appear trustworthy.
When he asked about payment, they told him to wire the first month’s rent and security deposit, a total of $2,000, via Western Union. That was the red flag.
Strike 3- Western Union - YOU ARE OUT! WESTERN UNION = SCAM!
Source: Craigslist Scam Warning by Lauren Petty
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