Rental scam

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

There are a lot of people who are active on this site looking to rent out their properties.

 

I received the following e mail today.

It is a scam.

I received a very similar e mail with a different e mail address about a year ago.

 

How it works is that they book with you, supposedly pay for the rental, the money appears in your account, and then they say that they have overpaid and ask you to refund the overpayment. Alternatively, they pay additional, and ask you to pay for a translator, buy a motor cycle etc etc.

 

Just thought that I would post this to warn people out there.

 

It's also interesting because many people looking to book short term furnished rentals are scared of sending their deposits to total strangers because of being scammed. Here we have a scam aimed at those in the rental industry.

 

RE: RESERVATION BOOKING

From:Rev. Richard Bowman <rev.bowmanrichard010@msn.com>

 

Add to ContactsTo:

Hello,

 

I want to make a reservation in your facility for Six (6) newly ordained priests from Greece; they will be visiting your country for a seven (7) day religious program in the month of June. 2011.

 

Arrival Date: 19th June. 2011

Departure Date: 25th june. 2011

Number of guest: 6 Persons

Number of rooms: 3 Rooms

 

Kindly confirm availability and get back to me with the total cost to pay, so that we can pay the necessary deposit charges for the rooms to be reserved for them. Am waiting for your urgent response as soon as possible.

 

Send all your answers and email reply to my private email ID: bowmanrichard93@yahoo.com.hk

Thank You.

Best Regards

Rev. Richard Bowman

 

Tamara

[Dominique]

Thank you for this,Its very helpfull...just shows you shouldnt trust anyone who is requesting your houses.

[Diane]

So do they actually pay the money into your account? If they overpaid, could you not just say you'll refund the excess to them on their arrival?

 

I can see it is obviously some kind of money-laundering scheme, but can't see where you'd lose out if they genuinely put the money into your bank!

[Toni]

Thank goodness - it was a scam! I got that email last year in October and they were being a bit cagey about dates. I remember it well because I thought I would finally have to go to Confession:biglaugh::biglaugh: and they weren't quite right about the dates. Once I started trying to chat to them about Greece as I have family there they stopped corresponding. Mystery solved, that's an interesting one......thanks Tamara....here I was feeling guilty about it...

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

The way that this one works is similar to a cheque scam.

 

An amount is allegedly paid into your account (lets say $7000). The rental is say $4000 which leaves an overpayment of $3000. They then ask you to pay for an interpretor and transfer $3000 into an account that they give you. You transfer the $3000 and then the money that they paid into your account 'bounces" after a few days.

You have then transferred out $3000 of your own money with no recourse to the bank because you were the fool that tranferred funds out to another account.

 

Very cunning.

 

This also works with Paypal as well...it appears that you have the funds in your account but it bounces a few days after you have transferred an amount out. Just because money appears in your Paypal account don't think that the funds have cleared!!

 

Tamara

[adelaidenow]

How does money in your bank balance account bounce?

 

If it's PayPal, obviously you don't do anything whilst it's clearing, the same as any cheques used to take 3 days.

 

Thanks for the Warning.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

There are a few ways that this can happen.

 

Your bank balance shows that there has been a deposit...but after you transfer money out the deposit is reversed. This is similar to a fraudulent cheque being deposited into your account...your balance shows the deposit but it bounces a few days later.

 

I also had the same problem with Paypal...someone paid to extend accommodation and a few days later the deposit was reversed but I had already transferred it into another account so my Paypal balance was thousands in debit.

 

Tamara

[Guest panther]

There are a lot of people who are active on this site looking to rent out their properties.

 

I received the following e mail today.

It is a scam.

I received a very similar e mail with a different e mail address about a year ago.

 

How it works is that they book with you, supposedly pay for the rental, the money appears in your account, and then they say that they have overpaid and ask you to refund the overpayment. Alternatively, they pay additional, and ask you to pay for a translator, buy a motor cycle etc etc.

 

Just thought that I would post this to warn people out there.

 

It's also interesting because many people looking to book short term furnished rentals are scared of sending their deposits to total strangers because of being scammed. Here we have a scam aimed at those in the rental industry.

 

RE: RESERVATION BOOKING

From:Rev. Richard Bowman <rev.bowmanrichard010@msn.com>

 

Add to ContactsTo:

Hello,

 

I want to make a reservation in your facility for Six (6) newly ordained priests from Greece; they will be visiting your country for a seven (7) day religious program in the month of June. 2011.

 

Arrival Date: 19th June. 2011

Departure Date: 25th june. 2011

Number of guest: 6 Persons

Number of rooms: 3 Rooms

 

Kindly confirm availability and get back to me with the total cost to pay, so that we can pay the necessary deposit charges for the rooms to be reserved for them. Am waiting for your urgent response as soon as possible.

 

Send all your answers and email reply to my private email ID: bowmanrichard93@yahoo.com.hk

 

Thank You.

Best Regards

Rev. Richard Bowman

 

 

Tamara

I recieved an exact email last year from the same group and i smelt a rat straight away and did not respond.

 

There is another one where a email is sent requestuing information about the Properties and then replies requesting to become friends and also provides some rather revealing photos.

 

I have raised this issue several weeks ago on this site its many that you will get in this cyber world we live in.

Panther:jimlad:

[adelaidenow]

There are a few ways that this can happen.

 

Your bank balance shows that there has been a deposit...but after you transfer money out the deposit is reversed. This is similar to a fraudulent cheque being deposited into your account...your balance shows the deposit but it bounces a few days later.

 

I also had the same problem with Paypal...someone paid to extend accommodation and a few days later the deposit was reversed but I had already transferred it into another account so my Paypal balance was thousands in debit.

 

Tamara

 

It goes against the grain for me to thank anyone, as I know almost everything already but thanks.

[Guest Guest5035]

It goes against the grain for me to thank anyone, as I know almost everything already but thanks.

 

WTF !! :shocked:, jeez that must have really really tough.....

 

stevo;)

[kildorragh]

Thanks Tamara,

 

Forewarned is forearmed.

 

Tony

[sandford5050]

Just wanted to say thank you for the warning!!!! A friend of our's just had a similar incident selling a car on EBAY....

 

There are some very nasty people,, who dont give a crap