Helene Frings request for room to rent - is it legit?

[DNahouraii]

Pretty sure this is a scam. Please check out. I got drawn into it and then "Helene Frings" wanted to send me a package with a tracking number...For a room rental? I live in a tourist town and it makes allot of sense to get requests for rentals from around the world. But, when I got about 4 requests, there appeared to be a common thread... I checked out the ILO which she claims to work for, It's a legit organization, but....something doesn't feel right anymore- not supplying personal references, work reference which I requested - anxious to secure the room, etc....
Thanks for checking out.

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Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:06:23 -0800
From: helene frings <helene.frings@yahoo.com>
Subject: Room needed
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Communication from "Helene Frings"

Hi there,
I'm Helene Frings, a 33 years old lady from Hamburg, Germany. I speak English and German fluently, I am currently working with the (ILO) International Labour Organization in Berlin.I am on a programme supported by German Government to States.I am searching for a place to stay.I just read your advert you posted and check to know may be the place still available.i really love the profile of the room/Apartment for rent and I will like to know much about the room and i would really want you to secure the room before my arrival, more so to know if it would be possible for me to pay for the room before my arrival, i will like to know the total amount of the room in month fee's with the utilities included. All these vital information are very important for me to know before submision of my proposal to the Organization. The Organization will be paying all the fees and the source of the money will be money order or cashier check...Hope to read from you soon.

Helene

My Response: Advised it was still available, gave details of room, asked for references.

Response from "Helene Frings"

Thanks for writing me back soon, I'm absolutely okay with the breakdown details of the room.... I will be making a payment for a month rent to move in. I'll be so happy if you can reserve the room for me additional $50 would be paid for removing the advert from the site because i'm so much interested in renting the room. My organization will be responsible for all the fees and the payment will be by United State money order or cashier's check as i had stated in my previous email so i will need all these informations from you....
Full Name......
Full Address....
Phone.....
Paying my rent would not be a burden to me since i wont be the one to pay the money but the organization i work for. My coming over will be by the end of this month and i will be living for a minimum, of 6 to 12 months. I'm coming for a research on reducing poverty, achieving fair globalization and advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.It works with governments, employers and workers organizations to promote Social protection Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all.Social dialogue Bringing together representatives of governments, employers and workers to foster cooperation and to deliver "real world" knowledge about employment and works. Anxiously waiting for your response, Have a pleasant day.

Helene

My response: 2nd request for references & credit check - asked for FB account to check.

Response from "Helene Frings" This is where the red flags started popping up:

Hello There
I really appreciate you getting back to me with this information and i will have it sent to my Boss immediately .....and i will also get back to you with the tracking number of the package via courier service.Once again I thank you for renting this place out to me .
I will keep you posted as the process unfolds OK?
Best Regards.

My response:

Helene,
Tracking number for a courier service? What are you sending?
Please advise.
D

Response from "Helene Frings":

i mean the tracking number of the payment ok

My response:

Hmm…….is it possible for your organization to pay thru PayPal?
Thanks again,
D

Response from "Helene Frings"

I never know but let me ask first and i will get to you as soon as i get the reply from them ok

I am not going to respond pending your assessment.

Quotes added for clarity - Michelle

[Dotti]

It's 100% scam.

The "parcel" would contained a fake check for more than you were owed, and you would have been instructed to send the excess by WU to some other party before your bank identified the fake. Occasionally scammers will send spoofed paypal messages too, so if "she" comes back and says PayPal is ok, that is where they would try to take it.

The language mistakes scream "African." NNFMP in the header is another clue to a scam.

[DNahouraii]

Thanks again Dottie for your information! This was the first time I used internet advertising. I'm getting a really good education on internet scammers.

[louisanna]

Almost just fell for the same scam. This time the name was Mary Jones, email address mary_macy_jones@msn.com. Same general description, young german woman from Hamburg coming to NYC for ILO research. Almost verbatim description of her work as the previous poster's Helene Frings. My wife and I gave "Mary" our names, address and phone numbers. My wife felt a little funny about the emails Mary was sending, so I did some sleuthing. Called the ILO in NYC, called the German Consulate. No one's ever heard of Mary Jones. Then I google the job description in her email and the first hit is to this post. Thanks for the heads up.

And to everyone else: this scam is ongoing. If you're looking to sublet your place via Craigslist, make sure the nice German girl coming to work on international labor rights issues is a real person!

Louis

[David Jansen]

Welcome here Louisiana

I'm glad you didn't get scammed out of your money. Thanks for posting this additional information.

[jtracy]

Thanks Scam Warners! I actually know someone who works at the ILO occasionally, so I was excited to welcome a "Mary Jones" to the house thinking we'd have mutual friends. Glad I checked here first.

[jsgorbach]

Just got hit up by the same would-be scammer. This time it was a mary_macy_jones@hotmail.com, claiming to be a German girl with the ILO, looking for an apartment to rent.

The Craigslist apartment listings is evidently a magnet for these scams.

Also, got contacted by a "Sarita Brooks" who says she is working for a "programme" in Romania that deals with "heart problems." Along comes this photo, totally unsolicited, of an attractive young woman. Can I pick her up at the airport when comes in to see the apartment?

She wants me to cash a cashier's check and then send her the difference to pay for her travel. Craigslist warns that fake cashier's checks are common and banks will hold you responsible for the money when, in a few weeks, they discover the fraud.

No real interest in the apartment yet. What a waste of time and a pain in the butt.

[GeorgeG]

I got hit with this scam as well.
I'm a 20 year old college trying to sublet my room for the semester
on Craigslist. So I get some information from a "Sarita Brooks" or should I say "Sarita Alisa Brooks"

Heres messages..
Sarita:My name is Sarita Alisa Brooks,I saw your advertisement On www.craiglist.org and I am very much interested in search of your room /apartment for rent or sublease. I was born in Greater London in united kingdom. Right now I am currently in Russian country(Abinsk,Krasnodar Krai)for a programme on children with Heart Related problems. My next programmes will be in the USA and I will be needing a Place to stay for this programme and I need to secure a Place before my arrival to the US.
I am having fun here and I can't wait to arrive to the states. Plesea do get back to me with more desc-ription of the Place,move in rent fees for the first month,details about the place and any deposit if included. I await your reply ASAP.
Regards,
Sarita A. Brooks

----------------------------------------------
Sarita:Thanks for your response to my email,Yes ,.. I am extremely interested in renting the place...I will also like to know more about the place.I will be through with my programme here in Russia and I will be having my studies leave in there in states, I will still be getting paid for my leave as allowances and compensating salary ,so paying my rents on time won't be an Issue of discussion.

I will be paying Ahead of my arrival for a month, which is very Important and that will secure the Place for me, and as soon as I arrive others important things will be taken care of before moving in to the Place.It's really great to keep contact close with you in respect of the place, I have informed my Boss about this and he promised to make sure that I will meet up with the payment Arrangement so that I can depart from here as scheduled. He also said I will have the advantage to make payment for deposit, My mode of payment will be in US Certified Check , So please let me know if this mode of payment is okay by you, and if YES please provide me with the following information to get the payment to you

.- Your full name as it will appear on the check ,
- Your work or Home address to ensure delivery in your hands through regular mails or a courier service(not p.o.box)
- Your phone number to keep contact close and avoid package missing in Transit.


If you will like to know a little bit about me, Here is a little about me:
I am 24 year old....I don't smoke nor drink. I have no Boyfriend because I am a very busy Lady only dedicated to my work, I like honest,trustworthy and hardworking people while I dislike laziness,messy,uncaring , my job involves traveling which is one of my Hobbies. My sign is Virgo. I speak English, and a little of spainish. I am a christian by religion. My favorites are; My favorite cuisines : Chinese/Dim Sum, Del i, Eastern-European, Fast Food/Pizza, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese/Sushi, Mexican, Seafood, Soul Food, Thai, Vietnamese My favorite music: Dance/Electronica, Disco, Rap/Hip Hop, Soul/R&B and Soundtracks. My favorite physical activities: Basketball, Dancing, Swiming and Hiking/Walking

Kindly get back to me as soon as possible with this requested address contact information so that we can proceed as soon as possible.I await your reply ASAP

Sarita Brooks

NB: Can you please take the Ads off craigslist so that i will be rest assured that you will rent it to me


This is obviously a scam. Whenever I recieve the check I will be turning it into the police.
Please BEWARE of this craigslist scammer . Thank You!

[Bubbles]

It is fantastic to see so many people who were not taken in by this scam. I would love to see this list have ten thousand posts in it.

Thank you for keeping the information fresh.