From: Tom Bowen <[email protected]>
To: Michelle
Sent: Fri, Oct 8, 2010 2:44 pm
Subject: Re: craigs list room
Thanks for your interest in my apartment. I am a professional piano/music theory teacher, I'm easy going and friendly. I like Music and have deep interest in traveling. I respect every religion and love to hang around with people and i am definitely not a trouble maker and very helpful in nature. I am currently living in London - UK and I will be here for long that is why am looking for a clean and responsible roommate to live in my apartment. The apartment is located at:
240 E 27th St
New York, NY 10016, USA
Subway: 28th Street - Lexington
Its a spacious and lovely 2-bedroom 2 bathroom fully furnished apartment with utilities included and pets are allowed. The apartment is currently empty and you will be the only occupant to live in the whole apartment. I want you to know that I am a kind and honest man and I spent a lot on my property that you are interested in renting, so I will solicit for your absolute maintenance of the apartment and I would want you to treat it as your own, I would like you to keep it tidy always and I also want you to let me have trust in you as I always stand on my word, the rental fees is $700 per month including utilities and the damage deposit is $500. First month rent and deposit is require to move in.
I know you will be wondering why the rent is so cheap. Well I am not after the money, what am after is the welfare of my property. I will like you to drive by to the building today to view the exterior of the building for you to know where the apartment is located and get back to me so that I can forward you the full interior pictures to you to have an idea how beautiful and spacious the inside looks and we can proceed to the application form.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards.
Tom Bowen
The thief will tell you that you can rent his accommodation only if you can prove that you have genuine interest. He will ask you send money by wire transfer (normally Western Union) to yourself or a member of the family to show that you have sufficient finances and that you are not a "time waster".
Another variation of this scam is that you need to send (by Western Union) money in order that the keys and other documents can be couriered to you
He will ask you to send him the transfer details.
Make no mistake ! Western Union Transfers can be picked up virtually anywhere in the world and with the minimum of identification. They are almost impossible to trace once the money has been collected. You will never get to see the accommodation or your money again.
If you are reading this because you are looking for property to rent, and you are in contact with this thief you are probably searching Gumtree or similar listing sites. If you receive any requests from 'Landlords' asking for some kind of payment by Western Union before viewing, then it will also be a scam. Please forward the mail to me at the address in my signature line and I will investigate and list them if necessary.
