Unregistered
10 September 2006, 21:35
Hi everybody,
I am not a member of your community, but I assume I know about a type of fraud, perhaps you know more about it.Fraudsters utilize websites such as Easyroomate or FlatmateWord and post a very realistic looking listings(correct postcodes,photos etc.). When you contact the person they will send you a personalized email answering your reply and provide you with additional details.They even send you the first two pages of their ID.By this stage the scam is indistinguishable from a real listing/landlord offering his property. Please note that this is not an "old" roomate scam, which is based on a fake check or other monetary instrument from which you are supposed to deduct the deposit and send the rest back. The next stage is that the fraudster sends you the contract agreement in respect to the property and wants you to read it and send back "signed"(to type your name). This is intended to create an atmosphere of legality and legitimity. The final phase of this deceptive snare is the deposit. You are supposed to send the deposit to allow them to keep the room/flat for you until you move in. This may sound suspicious but all the listings on those websistes actually contain info about deposits.You are supposed to send the money via Western Union and this eventually should rouse your brains.Even knowing this one is far from being convinced that a fraud is being commited.well then, how did I find out for sure that this is a crime?I did some research and found very similar listings(wording 99%the same) but posted in different names.I wrote them(from a different adress)and they followed the same pattern even the wording was the same.They usually include very personal info so it seems you actually email with a real, acting in good faith person.But fortunately they are so lazy that they use copy/paste tactics and do not bother creating still new properties, descriptions etc. they have 5 or six different ones.If they were not so lazy and greedy they would cash in pretty well.They are not idiots. Usually use female names such as Marry Avins or Laura Collins to make you prefer their listings to male listings(usually cleaner and prettier to behold). The ID scans they send you include a nice looking photo but the female in question is not "too" beautiful in order not to make you oversuspicious.They obviously will not accept any different means of payment than WU.If you raise some objection they try to do their best to "explain"stuff, but as soon as they relize that you are too "curious" they stop and commit their precious time to a different "flatmate" (but it was still me under a differnt name and adress,because I wanted to make sure).The scheme is very dangerus because is very plausible not like "you won 1000000bucks" or I am an "minister of something from Sudan/Somalia etc". You contact them, not otherwise.Apologize my lengthy syntax and bad english, I am not a native speaker. The sole purpose of this post is to warn you, because I did not find any relevant info abou this scheme so far.
I am not a member of your community, but I assume I know about a type of fraud, perhaps you know more about it.Fraudsters utilize websites such as Easyroomate or FlatmateWord and post a very realistic looking listings(correct postcodes,photos etc.). When you contact the person they will send you a personalized email answering your reply and provide you with additional details.They even send you the first two pages of their ID.By this stage the scam is indistinguishable from a real listing/landlord offering his property. Please note that this is not an "old" roomate scam, which is based on a fake check or other monetary instrument from which you are supposed to deduct the deposit and send the rest back. The next stage is that the fraudster sends you the contract agreement in respect to the property and wants you to read it and send back "signed"(to type your name). This is intended to create an atmosphere of legality and legitimity. The final phase of this deceptive snare is the deposit. You are supposed to send the deposit to allow them to keep the room/flat for you until you move in. This may sound suspicious but all the listings on those websistes actually contain info about deposits.You are supposed to send the money via Western Union and this eventually should rouse your brains.Even knowing this one is far from being convinced that a fraud is being commited.well then, how did I find out for sure that this is a crime?I did some research and found very similar listings(wording 99%the same) but posted in different names.I wrote them(from a different adress)and they followed the same pattern even the wording was the same.They usually include very personal info so it seems you actually email with a real, acting in good faith person.But fortunately they are so lazy that they use copy/paste tactics and do not bother creating still new properties, descriptions etc. they have 5 or six different ones.If they were not so lazy and greedy they would cash in pretty well.They are not idiots. Usually use female names such as Marry Avins or Laura Collins to make you prefer their listings to male listings(usually cleaner and prettier to behold). The ID scans they send you include a nice looking photo but the female in question is not "too" beautiful in order not to make you oversuspicious.They obviously will not accept any different means of payment than WU.If you raise some objection they try to do their best to "explain"stuff, but as soon as they relize that you are too "curious" they stop and commit their precious time to a different "flatmate" (but it was still me under a differnt name and adress,because I wanted to make sure).The scheme is very dangerus because is very plausible not like "you won 1000000bucks" or I am an "minister of something from Sudan/Somalia etc". You contact them, not otherwise.Apologize my lengthy syntax and bad english, I am not a native speaker. The sole purpose of this post is to warn you, because I did not find any relevant info abou this scheme so far.