Apartment rental scam

http://www.winter-holiday-lettings.com/
They list a number of apartments, send a form. Then send bank information asking for a deposit.
Their bank information is:
Bank Name: Lloyds TSB BANK
NAME: MEGA ALPHA LIMITED
ACCOUNT NUMBER : 16654668
SORT CODE: 30 94 74
IBAN: GB88LOYD30947416654668
BIC: LOYDGB21295
BANK ADDRESS: 27 Old gloucester street, london wc1n 3ax
CONTACT Address:50 HIGH STREET, EGHAM, SURREY, TW20 9EU.

They even send details of where to pick up the keys this is another site.
30 Bromley Rd. London, SE6 2TP and 27 Canadian Ave, london, SE6 3AU

And they sent me a phone number to contact them
44(0)702 409 1578,+44(0)702 409 4436
I did and spoke to someone and he sent another set of emails...
I've lost 240 pounds and don't have a place to stay as they keep feeding me with more
and more garbage.
After reading through your site I've stopped corresponding with them.

+44 (0)70* numbers in the UK are FREE redirections typically picked up outside our borders, and more typically in West Africa. Never trust anyone in any financial deal who uses a telephone number like this.

MEGA ALPHA LIMITED

Companies House (London) shows a registered address as follows:-
MEGA ALPHA LIMITED
77 BARRATTS ROAD
BIRMINGHAM
UNITED KINGDOM
B38 9HU
Company No. 07221801

The company was formed 13/04/2010 so looks like it has been set up to accept payments. If you have paid bank to bank, go to your bank and tell them what has happened. You may have some cover for fraud and you never know, you may get lucky.

You can also file a complaint against this company registration via the following [link]. The action of your approach to your own bank, may cause the Lloyds TSB in the UK to look at the account here and do something about it. It's worth a shot.

Hi there, and welcome to scamwarners.

winter-holidays-lettings is a scammer site and has been put on my list a few days back to be terminated. It only has a few days (maximum) left to live.

Ivebeenscammed, can you please forward the mails from the scammers to my email adress? We have a source that investigates and closes bank accounts used by scammers, but we need the proof for this. If you can provide me the mails and a set of headers (if you don't know what that are, i'll be glad to explain) we can get that account closed down.

Hi Michael:

Thanks for your response to my posting on Monday October 18th.

Here is the email thread that I have with this scammer. I spoke to them on the phone and that's when
I got suspicious. I tried to keep the correspondence going by telling them I needed a few more days rental etc....
And in the meantime I complained to my bank and asked them to trace the cheque to see if there can be a refund.
they are still trying and hvae not got back to me. I will give them this additional information.

Thanks for you advice.

I see that their website has been shut down.
I've contacted the folks at Glenthurston rentals to let them know their address is being used for 'key pick up'.

Please keep me posted on any outcome.
(is there a way I can be alerted when there are posts? It took me a while to find this response from you)
[email protected]

ivebeenscammed.


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: winter holiday lettings <[email protected]>
To:
Sent: Mon, October 18, 2010 3:12:19 PM
Subject: RE: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B

This is the address to pick up the keys 30 Bromley Rd. London, SE6 2TP and 27 Canadian Ave, london, SE6 3AU,how many days did you want to spend in the apartment..you are still going to make the booking as you did for this first one.

Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:18:42 -0700
From:
Subject: Re: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B
To: [email protected]

David:
You still have not sent me an address to pick up the keys.

Lalita

From: winter holiday lettings <[email protected]>
To:
Sent: Mon, October 18, 2010 1:56:25 PM
Subject: RE: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B

This is the address of the apartment -10 Portland Place London W1B 1PR,if you have any question you are free to ask.
Phone:+44(0)702 409 1578,+44(0)702 409 4436

Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:30:34 -0700
From:
Subject: Re: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B
To: [email protected]

I have been trying to phone you. Please send me your number
Lalita


Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:30:34 -0700
From:
Subject: Re: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B
To: [email protected]

I have been trying to phone you. Please send me your number
Lalita

From: winter holiday lettings <[email protected]>
To:
Sent: Mon, October 18, 2010 1:28:47 PM
Subject: RE: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B

Please can you send us the flight details?so that we can arrange for the keys pick up.

Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:14:48 -0700
From:
Subject: Re: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B
To: [email protected]

Please send me the details of the key pick up.
Lalita Krishna

From: winter holiday lettings <[email protected]>
To:
Sent: Sun, October 17, 2010 3:13:52 AM
Subject: RE: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B

This is your Booking Confirmation Number: H73456X6J12

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2010 08:29:48 -0700
From:
Subject: Re: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B
To: [email protected]

Hi:

Here is

1) confirmation of payment(megha Alpha Transfer)
2) The completed signed form(Winter holidays)

Please send us the confirmation of booking.

Lalita Krishna


From: winter holiday lettings <[email protected]>
To:
Sent: Fri, October 15, 2010 12:25:27 PM
Subject: RE: Self Catering Apartment at Portland Place, Marylebone, W1B


We have attached the booking form, please complete and email back to us,

Below is the account details to make the payment:£248

Bank Name: Lloyds TSB BANK
NAME: MEGA ALPHA LIMITED
ACCOUNT NUMBER : 16654668
SORT CODE: 30 94 74
IBAN: GB88LOYD30947416654668
BIC: LOYDGB21295
BANK ADDRESS: 27 Old gloucester street, london wc1n 3ax
CONTACT Address:50 HIGH STREET, EGHAM, SURREY, TW20 9EU.

Please do send us a scanned copy of your transaction receipt for verification.we will send the booking confirmation number slip to your
email, including the directions and terms and conditions, we will like to have you in our place.

Members e-dress removed - M

Hi ivebeenscammed,

When posting a message you'll see a list with options just below the "save, preview, submit" buttons. When you check 'notify me when a reply is posted' you'll receive an email everytime someone posts in the thread. I believe that was what you were looking for

Yes, I've noticed that their site is offline now - I've already found 2 new ones which will be reported and closed down soon. Me and my colleagues have traced and killed about 30 of their websites in the last months and we do everything we can to interrupt their schemes.

Thank you for the emails, I did not see that bank account of them before. This means that their previous one got closed down . We most likely can do the same with this one, can you please give me the headers of the mail where he sent you the bank account? If you don't know how to extract them from a mail, let me know what email provider you are using and I'll guide you through the process. Thanks!