scam?

Post scam emails to warn other rental owners, or if you are not sure if an enquiry is genuine, put it up here and see what others think.
Fleur
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Location: S.W. France
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scam?

Post by Fleur »

Any one else had an OWNERS DIRECT ENQUIRY from Rafael Louis 2 adults 1 child?
For me I think there's a hint of a scam as he asked the price (already listed) and the date he wants is available but he's asking if another date would be available. No tel contact.
Fleur
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

Definitely sounds like it takes the form of a standard scam enquiry to me. Can you reproduce the full content?
Fleur
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Location: S.W. France
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Post by Fleur »

Will have a try.
Fleur
Fleur
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Location: S.W. France
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Post by Fleur »

"Hello,Good Day, I am coming to your area for vacation and want to rent your property for 1weeks from August 22th to 29th.I am also flexible with my booking in case if those dates were booked already ok.Then give me another free weeks available to rent and what is your rent price for 1weeks? Kindly response back to my email today so i can secure down my family booking dates as soon as possible. Regards,Rafael Louis. "


We have decided that the above email is a scam.
Fleur
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

I have to agree with you. Notwithstanding language the whole thing reads like the vague enquiries spammers make. If this came from OD via the new system you can reply via your dashboard and 'Raphael' will not see your email address. Maybe you could try that first "Thank you for your enquiry. My calendar is up to date therefore currently the dates you require are available at the price quoted online."
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greenbarn
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Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

Ignore it. It's a 100% scam.
Bunny
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Post by Bunny »

greenbarn wrote:Ignore it. It's a 100% scam.
+1
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kevsboredagain
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Post by kevsboredagain »

:roll:

Had an enquiry last week - no phone number, hotmail email address, only wanting 2 days and barely comprehensible language. All a bit suspicious but a scam is not a scam until confirmed, it is merely a suspect enquiry to be treated with caution. I replied with a silly price of 70% of the weekly rate. I now have the booking.

There is nothing to lose by confirming something is a scam but you may lose bookings if you don't.
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greenbarn
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Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

kevsboredagain wrote::roll:

Had an enquiry last week - no phone number, hotmail email address, only wanting 2 days and barely comprehensible language. All a bit suspicious.....
Doesn't sound remotely suspicious. Why would you think that was a scam?
Bunny
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Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:48 pm
Location: South of England

Post by Bunny »

IMO It's not barely incomprehensible language that helps to identify a scam, it's when it is littered with generic well know repeated phrases that the scammers use. For example "I am coming to your area", "we are flexible" "kindly respond" "secure as soon as possible" etc etc. In isolation any one of these phases could be innocent but when they all appear in one email I think it's a pretty good indicator.
Bunny
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Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:48 pm
Location: South of England

Post by Bunny »

Here is another one I received the other day. Slightly different wording but the same classic format:

"Kindly let me know if there are availability for 4 double rooms for 8 guests including breakfast from 1st JULY 2015 to 15th JULY 2015 and the total bill..If not Kindly advice the Dates available as our travel is flexible.

Waiting to read from you soon."

I'm getting a lot wanting to 'read from me soon' too.
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Normandie
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Location: France - southern Manche (50)

Post by Normandie »

I was away for a couple of days recently with no communications options other than phone calls so OH was in charge of my mail. He was so excited when he told me that we'd had an enquiry for the whole of September (or October, they were flexible) from a Professor LongDeletedFromSpam and his wife and teenager.

OH was so disappointed when, at the point he mentioned "flexible", I told him to delete it. :lol:

But there was another scam email a few weeks ago that had clearly gone out to most of the chambre d'hôtes in the area because several local-ish French people fairly new to CdH-ing rang me to ask what they should do with a (different but similar) enquiry for 4 weeks. There are a lot of solo operators around who are not internet savvy who don't have the benefit of LMH and they are still vulnerable to these pests.
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