Dubious enquiry from HA

[stork]

Good morning,

Got an enquiry some days ago from someone with an English name, thought HomeAway.com. Only unusual details in first round:
- HA.com (few enquiries from there)
- email address of letters and numbers @outlook.com

In my book, not enough to drop it. One week, mid season, specific dates.

A few days later I then got one from a different English name, also HA.com, similar sort of email address, same dates. Funny coincidence?

In the reply from the first one it then says:

"I'll make an arrangement with our Accountant to make and mail a Bank Check for the full amount through Regular Mail so we can be assured of our reservation.I don't have access to a bank transfer nor  pay pal account.I can only instruct my Accountant to issue the Bank check in Euros for easy cashing at your bank so i hope you can understand.So provide me with the information she need below:


She will need the above information...
YOUR FULL NAME
BILLING ADDRESS 
CITY 
STATE 
ZIPE CODE
PHONE NUMBER /CELL PHONE

We would also like to confirm the reservation on the following information:

Mr & Mrs NN
Karmelyuka Vul. Street, 51/11 
Lviv 79062 ,Ukraine, "

The address exists, you even have google street view. I get a number of hits on the name, including what looks like Ukranian spam on Twitter, but also a character in some of Tom Clancy's novels.

To me it smells. Do I:

- ignore
- report to HA
- tell we do not do cheques

Oh, never hear more from the second one.

[mi casa]

We got the enquiry a few days ago and it seemed okay. A few days later we got the exact same email as Stork. Would not even bother sending a reply. Will inform HA even though they most probably will do nothing.

[tavi]

Ignore, definitely.

edit: and if you're not convinced just copy the text of the email into Google and search.....it's a common one.

[e-richard]

Funnily enough, I got this one too, but it started with a simple HA enquiry. I replied saying dates inconvenient would they like to change. They replied (quite reasonably) saying OK, new dates were suitable. I sent a booking form and new quote. So a few emails - all seemingly kosher.

Then finally got the identical email as stork, but this time, gmail flagged it as spam. The wording was so common to other scammers.

I just love gmail. Its spam trap is 99.9999999999% better than all the others put together.

[stork]

Yes, mine also started as a normal HA enquiry (apart from the HA.com source).

What puzzles me is that the dates are in May - that should leave loads of time for a cheque to bounce.

Of course, they could then cancel and ask for us to return the money…

BTW, I just searched for the name in the 2nd suspicious*) enquiry. This turns out to be the name an actress. Could be coincidence of course?

*) only suspicious because of the first enquiry.

[stork]

I would actually not mind helping law enforcement getting to talk to these people, but if they are in Ukraine I have a feeling the authorities there have other priorities at the moment.

And I do not want to pick a fight with Ukrainian criminals without being sure my back is covered...

[pambon]

And I do not want to pick a fight with Ukrainian criminals without being sure my back is covered...

Then perhaps you should move down our way

[mi casa]

The dates they requested from us were also for May and Stork, e-richard and myself all have property in the Algarve. Why the Algarve? Anyone quess what they are up to because as Stork says plenty of time for a cheque to bounce.

[e-richard]

The Algarve just because they are lazy and are simply working their way through the listings from A-Z sending the same stuff to each and every listing. emails are free !

What puzzles me is that the dates are in May - that should leave loads of time for a cheque to bounce.

When they do send you a cheque, it will probably be a bankers draft which will apparently clear in your account pretty instantly. The draft will, of course, be for a figure far greater than your rental, so they will ask you to send on the difference, typically via Western Union (i.e. cash). Then, some 6 weeks later or thereabouts, your bank will find out that the draft was a forgery and will remove the funds from your account. Pity that in the meantime you sent them cash that is not refundable