Most people who use the
housing database have great stories to tell about
their experiences with renters, sellers, tenants,
landlords and such, but we also receive occasional
reports of scams and fraud. We have heard that
one of the best ways to avoid this problem is to
keep all transactions local -- whenever possible,
do not do business with anyone who is not in your
local area. Use caution and common sense when dealing with
any financial transaction:
DEAL ONLY WITH LOCAL RENTERS AND LANDLORDS! Most
non-local inquiries are scams. Though
some could be potential students coming to
the University. If
it sounds suspicious, it probably is. Use
your best judgment.
Never wire
funds to a distant renter, via Western Union
or any other carrier
Be wary if the other party
wants to use an escrow service such as BidPay
or Squaretrade
Never give
out personal financial information (checking
account number, SSN, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
Trust your instincts, and always remember the
most important rule -- BUYER BEWARE
Who should I notify about fraud? If
you think you have been scammed, contact the non-emergency
number for your local police department -- they
may be able to offer advice about your options.
Types of Scams 1. Distant renter/landlord indicates
our housing list/Bastyr University will guarantee
the transaction, certify a renter/landlord, and/or
claims that Bastyr University will handle or
provide protection for a payment.
This is a scam. Bastyr University does not
have any role in any transaction.
Potential renter/landlords may even provide
detailed documentation of a "protection
program.” Any such document is fraudulent.
You receive an odd email (actual examples below)
offering to rent site unseen.
Cashier's check is offered as a deposit for
a rental (or just about anything else).
Value of cashier's check often far exceeds
your item - renter asks you to wire the balance
via money transfer service
Banks will often cash these fake checks AND
THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS
TO CLEAR DAYS LATER
Scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent,
business associate owing buyer money, etc)
3. Distant renter/landlord requests payment
via Western Union or MoneyGram:
Renter/landlord often claims that an MTCN or
confirmation code is needed before he can withdraw
your money - this is FALSE, once you've wired
money, it is GONE.
Common countries currently include: Nigeria,
UK, Romania, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Netherlands
- but could be anywhere
Deal often seems too good to be true
4. Distant renter/landlord offers to send
you a cashier's check and then have you wire
money:
This is ALWAYS a scam, in our experience -
the cashier's check is FAKE
Sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise,
sometimes not
Scammer often asks for your name, address,
etc for printing on the fake check
Deal often seems too good to be true
5. Distant renter/landlord suggests use
of an online escrow service .
Most online escrow sites are FRAUDULENT, operated
by scammers
For more info, do a google search on "fake
escrow" or "escrow fraud"
If you must do business with a distant seller,
insist on a legitimate service, such as www.escrow.com
---------------------------------------------------- Actual examples of scam emails (courtesy
of homerentalads.com)
Hello Steve ,
Thanks for the mail well I have contacted my client
about this situation of the house on the security
deposit you told me about and he told me that his
associate in the state who is going to make the
payment for him inform of either a cheque or money
order of about $3000 which he has claimed of which
will be sent to you so I will like you to send
your contact information below so that the payment
will be able to get to your house door and I will
instruct you on what to do with the rest of the
funds which you will have to send to the shipping
agent who is going to pack my things to your location
after that we will be able to talk about the rest
of the money.
NAME IN FULL:
CONTACT ADRESS:
CONTACT PHONE NUMBER:
Hope to hear from you soon.
Cheers,
Mr. Johnson. NOTE: THIS IS A SCAM ----------------------------------------------------
July 4, 2005
Hello,
I saw your apartment advertised on a classified
advert and I want to know if it is still available.
I want to sign a one year lease for it and intend
moving in by the end of July.
Please let me hear from you asap.
My regards. NOTE: THIS IS A SCAM ----------------------------------------------------
Dear Sir/madam
I am Macklin Conor I live in uk. I am going on
sabbatical leave so I will be relocating to your
area with my family in a few weeks time I would
want to pay for the rent of the family house you
advertised on Bastyr.edu. I will also want to know
your final price of the rentage and please let
me know if a cashiers check drawn from a U.S bank
will be acceptable by you for payment. as you give
me a reply to know if you will be of help to me
and my family.
THANKS!!!
Regards,
Macklin Conor NOTE: THIS IS A SCAM ----------------------------------------------------
Hello,
I understand you be will be receiving the payment
today, and my creditor sent $33,000 instead of
the $34,000 he was supposed to send. However, I
want you to contact me the moment you receive it.
Also, I want to plead with you to kindly assist
me like I told you earlier, by helping me send
$5,300 to the seller in Houston-Texas to enable
him ship my items to me on time, since we will
be coming soonest. And I want to also plead with
you to make sure he receives his own money through
western union money transfer since he said he would
need his payment sent via western union money transfer.
Which means my balance sum I would need you to
hold for me before I come with my family will be
$6,900, after deducting the rentage. Here are his
details to enable you send the money to him via
western union:
Franklin Straw,
6320 Main Street,
Brown, 9 Sunset Blvd,
Houston, TX 77005-1891
Phone...718-219-xxxx
And do not forget to deduct the western union charges
used in sending the money to him from my balance
of funds with you. And send me the western union
details used in sending him the money, so that
I can contact him to let him know his money has
been sent, and finalise my arrangements with him.
Also, let me know the cost of sending the money,
and total amount left with you for the purpose
of accountability.
I am really sorry to bother you in this regard,
and will be counting on your assistance. However,
I will be waiting to hear from you as soon as you
receive the payment today, ans also include the
directions from the Airport to enable us find our
way. My regards to your family. We look forward
to meeting you.
Jeffery THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT DO IT! See how polite
they are when they are trying to get your money.
----------------------------------------------- Examples of Rental Scams
My name is (name of landlord) and we have an ad
for a condo for rent in Albuquerque. Two of the
respondents: Charles Farley at charlesuf2001@Yahoo.com
and Bernard at nobleconsult2000@yahoo.com responded
to the ad. Both said that they lived in England
and wanted to rent the condo. They wanted to send
a cashier check for a year's rent and Charles said
that he had ordered furniture for the condo and
wanted us to accept the furniture for him when
it arrived in Albuquerque. He said that he would
send us a cashier check for the furniture. We e-mailed
back and forth, we sent him pictures of the condo
and dimensions of the rooms etc. We asked him to
complete an application for rental so we could
check references. He gave us some names and phone
numbers he said were in England. We called the
operator for info on the numbers and the numbers
he had given us were from Nigeria. On Bernard,
the numbers he said were in England, were actually
numbers in Russia. He also wanted to send us a
cashier check for a year's rent. What do you think,
scam or not. THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT DO IT!
-----------------------------------------------
I was contacted for my Pinehurst, NC rental by
a Dr. Jose Cami of London who said he was a "medical
practitioner". We have talked via cell phone
a few times. He didn't respond to the rental ad
through the ad, but typed in my email address and
the subject was "UPDATES" in his emails
to me. He said since the condo was unfurnished
he would ship furniture from London. He was to
have his financier send me 6 months rent and money
to pay for the furniture delivery when it comes.
He wanted it to arrive a few days before him so
his things would be here when he arrived with his
wife and daughter. On my third request he sent
his "financier’s" name and phone.
When I called it was not the person's he said it
was and it was a number in Hawaii and the person
I spoke with said he didn't handle others financial
affairs and didn't know a Dr. Cami.
My worst fears are this is a scam to pay for the
furniture delivery after a check arrives which
will turn out to be bad and I will be out the cost
of the furniture shipping which will be substantial.
Of course I won't do it and will tell the furniture
people they will have to hold onto it until Dr.
Cami gets here and he can pay for it and of course
I also won't let him sign a lease until he verifies
what he has told me and gives me paper money. The
only thing I am out so far is not renting the place
to others who have called.
Have you heard of anything like this before? YES, THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT DO IT!
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Lastly, there is Scam baiting A number of internet groups have invented
the hobby of scam baiting. The object is to pretend
interest in a scammer's scheme, while convincing
the scammer to waste time, perform ridiculous tasks,
or otherwise entertain the baiter.
These scams have the weak point of having to use
a working email account. Forwarding such emails
to the abuse@ address of the email account can
get scams shut down quickly.
