Please, help me. Is it a scam?

[Alessandra]

Hi to everybody.

Please, can anyone tell me if this request sounds like a scam? This guest has not identified himself yet and when I've kindly asked him to pay by International Bank Transfer, he refused.
I am pretty new in this business and I have some doubts, so please any advice from you would be very appreciated!

"yes i am interested in the november 21 to december 18 for two people. me and my wife..

so i see that the total is 28 days and that makes it XXX euro..

i will like to make the payment now.. who do i have to make the payment to for the time..

i am in england and i want to make the payment now before i come.. so that i wont spend the money as i have it with me now..

please mail me your full name and address .. and i willl have my bank to make a euro cashiers check in your name and i will mail it out to you for payment.. ok..

please do not rent it out to any other person.. mail me this information so that i can make the payment quick ok..

thanks"

[KathyG]

Looks very much like a scam to me Allessandra, what other communication have you had from them? Did the initial email start off with "Hello, my name is...........". Then yes, definite scam.

[Alessandra]

Thank you for your reply kathiegirl. Actually, He doesn't say his name...

When I sent him the booking form with a request of payment by International Bank Transfer, he replied:

"hello

thanks for the mail. well i dont do transfers on my account here in england .. but the easiest way for me to make the payment to you is with cashiers check and which is more of cash as well..

the bank will make the cashiers check out of my account in your name and then i will mail it to you for payment.. this is how i have been making alot of payments to my clients and business partners in italy and european countries.. ok

so please mail me your full name and address with code so that i can make the payment on time.

and i will make the payment now before i come ok..

thanks"

[Paul Carmel]

Walk away! Its a fake cheque scam. You might find it useful to read the sticky at the top of this section.

[Rocket Rab]

Hi Alessandra, and a very warm welcome to the forum. Nice to have you with us. You'll get lots of good tips here, I know, starting with some sound advice from Kathy and Paul. Looks like a scam to me, too: walk away seems about right, in the circs.

Btw, folks, I'm currently in Rome - guess where? Yup, in Alessandra's gorgeous apartment. And though she may be new to renting, we think she's off to a great start. She has a really lovely place*, in a superb location, just minutes from the Vatican. PM me if you want me to light a candle.....

*Fab welcome pack: we were dead tired on arrival and sooooo pleased with the pasta, tom sauce, wine and biccies. Grazie mille. Baci Rab

[Giddy Goat]

I've just looked - agree - it's fab! Extremely stylish in the best Italian tradition!

Welcome from me too Alessandra and good luck with your bookings, although I don't think you'll need it!

Here's Paul's sticky just to help you detect future scam emails:

viewtopic.php?t=2690

Luckily you won't get many - at least I haven't had a lot in the four years we've been renting our property.

[tree-peony]

certian whiffs of scam to me