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New Scam For Renters

bkkjames

By bkkjames
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bkkjames Star Member

bkkjames

Posted
Posted

Thought I would post this as public service, I sent an inquiry to an ad on craigslist regarding an apartment for rent. After a couple of short email exchanges I received the below in my inbox from the person placing the ad. The ad itself looked legit and included actual photos of the bangkok condo project.

Seems the boys from Africa are getting sneakier with their scams these days....

I just received your email right now, Thanks for getting back to me so quick. Am very happy to hearing back from you today.

Regarding to your questions, Am not in Bangkok, Am in Oversea. you can make arrangement is seeing my apartment exterior today. I will go to the apartment address and see the apartment building with the surrounding area, and make sure you get back to me as soon as you are back for the checking up, so that we can start from there. Okay?.

Moreover, i can see your willingness in this rent. I shall giving you my property for rent, Pls again, take good proper care of my place. I have read your emails, you are such a responsible person that I can trust with all my heart. Reading through your emails I discovered that you are intelligent, hardworking and trusthworthy person, and you are the types of tenant that I have been looking for long. I thank GOD that I found someone like you for my place, and I want you to sticks on your words as a good responsible and trustworthy person that I can trust with all my hearts, because am a man of GOD who's always stands on his words.

I want you to have in mind that, I will like to send the keys and the documents of my place to you before your move in date in November, via DHL company, so that you can have the keys of my place in hands before your arrivals in November, and I will send the keys to you in the same day your two month rent deposit payment have been confirmed by my lawyer overhere in West Africa.

I will send you all the below packages.

Here are the contents of the packages that will be delivered to you by DHL company with Express Delivery Services.

1) Entrance and the rooms Keys.

2) Paper/Permanent house form(Containing your reference details).

3) The house documentary file.

4) Deposit Payment Receipt.

I will be going to the DHL office as soon as your deposit payment have been confirmed today, to book for the delivery of this packages to you, so kindly get back to me with your delivery information carefully, because it is so important.

DELIVERY INFORMATION:

PACKAGES RECEIVER'S NAME: Your Full Names Needed For The Keys Delivery.

PACKAGES DELIVERY ADDRESS: Your Full Address Needed For The Keys Delivery.

I want you to know that, I will have my place keys and the documents packages send to you based on trust and I hope you will not disappoint me on this?, Please always make my place neat and tidy, because I worked very hard to get this my property that I want to give you for rent, and I don't want my property to be use anyhow in presence of my life, and I hope you will help me treat my property like if it's your owned?. Let me know and make a promise to me??.

May I ask you, Are you ready for your two month rent deposit payment now today or when??, Let me know in your next email, so that I can hold and secured my place for you till your move in date in November, and for you to have the keys packages arrives as soon as possible tomorrow for bonafide occupancy, and for me to instruct you my lawyer payment information in my next email, so that you can make the payment at once today through Western Union Money Transfer. Can I forward you the Western Union Payment Information for your deposit payment today?.

Do let me know and get back to me as soon as possible today, so that my place can be hold and secured for you till your move in date in November.

Hope to read back from you as soon as possible today.

I can't wait to read back from you today.

May GOD bless you and your families.

Thanks.

Best Regards.

Mr: Benald Gabriel

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Boater Diamond Member

Boater

Posted
Posted

wow

a new scam !!! .... but very good one those!!.....

and I will send the keys to you in the same day your two month rent deposit payment have been confirmed by my lawyer overhere in West Africa.

First give away

Can I forward you the Western Union Payment Information for your deposit payment today?.

Second Give away

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bonobo Ruby Member

bonobo

Posted
Posted

This is actually called a "419 Scam," based on the Nigerian civil code which addresses it.  If you ever go to Lagos, you will see many, many signs on property and buildings which say "This property is not for sale.  419."  Or "This property is not for Rent.  Beware 419."  Or more to the point, "Beware 419."

Still, many, many people "buy" or "rent" property from people who never owned it in the first place.

I hate to say this, but forget anything over the internet which has an African connection.  Second, if it is too good to be true, it isn't true. Third, something like this may seem legit at first glance, but if you can't see the apartment itself, then it isn't true. And any communications where the writer uses "GOD BLESS," "thank GOD," "I know you are GOD fearing," etc, or professes to be a professor, a spouse or lawyer of a former (usually dead) politician, or an American serviceman in Iraq or Afghanistan, well, you are communicating with a Nigerian scam artist.

A last warning.  If you receive an e-mail asking if you export and if you accept credit cards for payment, be careful. The key warning here is if they then ask you for a website or catalogue to see your products (common sense tells you if they don't even know your products, then how can they want them for their store?). What they do is give you a stolen card and you send your products. 30 or 60 days later, the true owner of the card does a chargeback, and you are stuck without money nor your product.

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tartempion Gold Member

tartempion

Posted
Posted

oH well, I just won the UK lottery without buying any ticket :o :

I gave a Thai name and adress, but that did not deter them, also gave them my tel number and they did go through the effort of calling me from the UK!

This is a Registered E-mail® message from Barrister Mark Spencer.

FROM: BARRISTER MARK SPENCER

TAN FIELD CHAMBERS

2-5 Warwick Court, London WC1R 5DJ

DX: 46, Chancery Lane.

Email : [email protected]

Attn: Prapaporn Mungngam

YOUR UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PAYMENT HAS BEEN APPROVED, CONTACT THE ACCREDITED COURIER SHIPPING COMPANY.

CONGRATULATIONS!This is to inform you that you have been cleared a winner of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY online Sweepstakes International program.I am happy to inform you that your Original Certificate and your Certified bank cheque has been fowarded to the courier company.

We acknowledge the receipt of your details. We urge you to contact the courier company with your complete details for parcel delivery.

You are required to make contact with the Shipping Company as soon as possible, to discuss with them how your Winning Cheque would be delivered to you in your home country. And to know how much it will cost you for shipping. You will need to contact SCARLET COURIERS (EUROPE) LTD.UK, which is the accredited delivery company.

You are to reach them with the information below;

SCARLET COURIERS (EUROPE) LTD.UK,.UK .

Address:

Unit 3c, Woodlands Farm, Blacknest Road,Blacknest,Alton,

Hants GU34 4QB

United Kingdom

PHONE NUMBER:

+44 703 187 2915

+44 703 184 3938

Contact:

MR. Edward Raw (Dispatch Officer)

Description

Transportation of urgent small consignments locally and throughout the UK, using dedicated same day couriers. Next day UK and international services also offered.

Email:

[email protected]

Category:

Courier and delivery services (including mail order distribution)

NOTE: You DO NOT have much time to get this done. I advise you act fast and get in touch with Mr. Edward Raw of SCARLET COURIERS (EUROPE) LTD.UK,You are to send them a mail to their email address which is ([email protected]).

You are required to contact them with the following information within the next 24hours;Do note that your parcel identification code iS Z562725,YOU ARE THEREFORE TO PUT YOUR IDENTIFICATION CODE AS THE SUBJECT WHEN CONTACTING THEM.

1. Full Name:

2. Address where you would want the Parcel delivered to:

3. Telephone(mobile and home)/Fax Number:

4. Occupation:

5. Sex:

We look forward to your prompt response. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us as soon as you possibly can.

Regards,

Barrister Mark Spencer

Claims Agent

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bonobo Ruby Member

bonobo

Posted
Posted
There is a brilliant website for winding up these characters

Some people have the time to play them at their own game

check out 419 eaters dot com

I love this website.  I particularly liked the one with the guy and the squirrel.  I am not sure if that one is still posted, but it was pretty hilarious.

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bonobo Ruby Member

bonobo

Posted
Posted
And any communications where the writer uses "GOD BLESS," "thank GOD," "I know you are GOD fearing," etc

true, but i once had a client ( Black Lady, very gospal ) who would always end her messages with God Bless you ect ect

Certainly this is not the case with people you know.  

But for an unsolicited 419 scam, these idiots constantly refer to "GOD," (never "God") as if that will put the reader at ease because, of course, no one who writes "GOD" could ever be doing anything nefarious.

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Tafia Gold Member

Tafia

Posted
Posted (edited)
oH well, I just won the UK lottery without buying any ticket :D :

I gave a Thai name and adress, but that did not deter them, also gave them my tel number and they did go through the effort of calling me from the UK!

This is a Registered E-mail® message from Barrister Mark Spencer.

FROM: BARRISTER MARK SPENCER

TAN FIELD CHAMBERS

2-5 Warwick Court, London WC1R 5DJ

DX: 46, Chancery Lane.

Email : [email protected]

Attn: Prapaporn Mungngam

YOUR UK NATIONAL LOTTERY PAYMENT HAS BEEN APPROVED, CONTACT THE ACCREDITED COURIER SHIPPING COMPANY.

CONGRATULATIONS!This is to inform you that you have been cleared a winner of the UK NATIONAL LOTTERY online Sweepstakes International program.I am happy to inform you that your Original Certificate and your Certified bank cheque has been fowarded to the courier company.

We acknowledge the receipt of your details. We urge you to contact the courier company with your complete details for parcel delivery.

You are required to make contact with the Shipping Company as soon as possible, to discuss with them how your Winning Cheque would be delivered to you in your home country. And to know how much it will cost you for shipping. You will need to contact SCARLET COURIERS (EUROPE) LTD.UK, which is the accredited delivery company.

You are to reach them with the information below;

SCARLET COURIERS (EUROPE) LTD.UK,.UK .

Address:

Unit 3c, Woodlands Farm, Blacknest Road,Blacknest,Alton,

Hants GU34 4QB

United Kingdom

PHONE NUMBER:

+44 703 187 2915

+44 703 184 3938

Contact:

MR. Edward Raw (Dispatch Officer)

Description

Transportation of urgent small consignments locally and throughout the UK, using dedicated same day couriers. Next day UK and international services also offered.

Email:

[email protected]

Category:

Courier and delivery services (including mail order distribution)

NOTE: You DO NOT have much time to get this done. I advise you act fast and get in touch with Mr. Edward Raw of SCARLET COURIERS (EUROPE) LTD.UK,You are to send them a mail to their email address which is ([email protected]).

You are required to contact them with the following information within the next 24hours;Do note that your parcel identification code iS Z562725,YOU ARE THEREFORE TO PUT YOUR IDENTIFICATION CODE AS THE SUBJECT WHEN CONTACTING THEM.

1. Full Name:

2. Address where you would want the Parcel delivered to:

3. Telephone(mobile and home)/Fax Number:

4. Occupation:

5. Sex:

We look forward to your prompt response. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us as soon as you possibly can.

Regards,

Barrister Mark Spencer

Claims Agent

Thats not fair, I buy a ticket and never win!! Bloody Lotto!!

I get mail thro the post you have won etc etc please send cash and we can release the funds.

I always reply thanking them and asking them to deduct the money from the winnings and send me the balance.

Never received anything yet, maybe its because I dont put a stamp on the envelope!! :o

Edited by Tafia
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robbiecia Advanced Member

robbiecia

Posted
Posted (edited)
There is a brilliant website for winding up these characters

Some people have the time to play them at their own game

check out 419 eaters dot com

I love this website. I particularly liked the one with the guy and the squirrel. I am not sure if that one is still posted, but it was pretty hilarious.

Great isn't it :o:D:D

Edited by robbiecia
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Mattchu9999 Senior Member

Mattchu9999

Posted
Posted

My favorite response is to look up where they say they are in Africa on Google Maps, then write them back stating I have a couple friends in the next town over doing some military consultation work and they would be happy to meet with them to go over the lease or what ever...

They never write back for some reason....

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  • 3 weeks later...
Pilita Apprentice Member

Pilita

Posted
Posted

Regarding the scam. This happened to me just last week. I was looking for a furnished condo in Chiang-mai. Got a response from someone that claimed was relocated by his company. Sent amazing photos (from a magazine no doubt). We exchanged a couple of e-mail but because of the 'quality' and style of the apartment it didn't make sense.

Then, the perpetrator (a NY expression) mixed up e-mails with someone he was trying to rent an apartment in Amsterdam. That person sent me the e-mails and that fool lost out with TWO people. The rest of the scan is identical, wire me money, I will wire you the KEYS. The scammer wanted pounds (obviously in the U.K.). He sent me photos from an apartment that will rent for at least $10,000 a month anyplace in the world.

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Super Hans Silver Member

Super Hans

Posted
Posted
My favorite response is to look up where they say they are in Africa on Google Maps, then write them back stating I have a couple friends in the next town over doing some military consultation work and they would be happy to meet with them to go over the lease or what ever...

They never write back for some reason....

Actually, I did something similar recently and have received about 100 replies. It is true they all go on about GOD.

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