today's rental 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.
meseta
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:55 pm
Location: Inland,Costa del Sol.
Contact:

today's rental scam !

Post by meseta »

Just received this..... wonderful, eh ?
I can't wait to give out all my personal info.....0


"Thanks for your reply i will be taking your accommodation for the mention month of august and will sending a check to cover the period of (14 days),because the vacational holiday i am coming for will only last for 14 days,but there is a little favour i will want you to do for me and the favour is that since my management have made a down payment of 4000 euro being the money allocated for my trip and the amount for the rentage and every other deposit is 650 euro,i have read and have gone thru all your booking terms and conditions and I am very much okay with them.The remaining excess fund from the check made out to you will be wire through western union money transfer to my PA after you must have cleared the check and deduct your own part.Why i need you to do this favour is that if i were to take the check to a bank in africa ,it will take upto 30 working days for the check to clear and i don't want any delay in your own payment . I want to make sure the payment for the rent is made before coming over.I will want you to please let me have this following information if you have agreed to my terms of payment.
1, NAME ON CHECK
2,MAILLING ADDRESS FOR THE CHECK
3,CONTACT PHONE NUMBER BOTH MOBILE AND LAND
Immediately the following informations is forward to me I assure you that the check will be made out straight away.
Thanks and waiting to read from you "
Clexane
Posts: 330
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 3:42 pm
Location: Provence France
Contact:

Post by Clexane »

Mesata,

I admit it looks odd, but I am missing where the scam is here. There is little he can do with the information requested. He already has your name presumably, give him an address not related to your bank accounts (a relative, friend) and only give him a landline or mobile not both again not related to your accounts ie work place.

Like I said it is odd (and a pain) but dont see the scam element, though I must say there is potential for money laundering. You could put your deposit up and the time required for full payment to cover this potential.
So you wanted a holiday home in france ...

www.villaemmanuelle.com
User avatar
vrooje
Posts: 3202
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:48 am
Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Perhaps I misread it, but isn't this the classic "I pay you $5000 you give me back $500 and later find the original check was bogus" scam?
Brooke
Clexane
Posts: 330
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 3:42 pm
Location: Provence France
Contact:

Post by Clexane »

Could be, but you wait for the check to clear first before sending any money back. Once the money is in your hands there is little that can be done.
So you wanted a holiday home in france ...

www.villaemmanuelle.com
User avatar
Thomas BC
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 1:45 pm
Location: Normandy (76)
Contact:

Post by Thomas BC »

but is that not the scam... as the famous Vrooje says ... the money will never be in your hands?
User avatar
oskar
Posts: 140
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 2:22 pm
Location: Lanzarote
Contact:

Post by oskar »

There is one key telltale word in this little pile of drivel.............

AFRICA!!

ImageImage
meseta
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:55 pm
Location: Inland,Costa del Sol.
Contact:

advance fee fraud

Post by meseta »

Feel free to go for it Clexane........

We'll await your news
User avatar
Teresa
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 5:11 pm
Location: Loire Atlantique
Contact:

Post by Teresa »

I'm sure this is a scam, I recognise the style of writing from others I've had. Basically the cheque never clears and I've heard of one instance when the French bank actually told the unfortunate scamee that it had, so they refunded the difference and then found that ooops :shock: , sorry - it hadn't but of course the bank was not responsible. Work that one out. Apparently these cheques take forever to clear so be afraid, be very afraid. Another gite owning friend received a banker's draft drawn on an Irish bank and like me, thought that a draft was like a postal order - scam proof. No, alerted by very suspicious e-mails in weird broken English, she checked with said Irish bank only to find that the draft was counterfit.
I haven't been in this business very long but already I read and re-read every e-mail with suspicion, I know it's sad :cry: but better safe than sorry.
My epitaph will read: well at least she tried.
Clexane
Posts: 330
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 3:42 pm
Location: Provence France
Contact:

Post by Clexane »

Mesata,

Feel free to send me a cheque for 4000 Euro at anytime ... :D
So you wanted a holiday home in france ...

www.villaemmanuelle.com
meseta
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:55 pm
Location: Inland,Costa del Sol.
Contact:

Post by meseta »

only if you send me one for 5000 first.............
User avatar
paolo
Posts: 3885
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:18 pm
Location: Provence, France
Contact:

Post by paolo »

This is the classic scam. Anybody reading this who is in two minds about it, please don't be. Unless you are a scam-baiter, do not respond to such an email.

The scam is - they send too much money, and you re-imburse the difference. The payment to your account will be a dud cheque. It can take weeks for that to become apparent, and it can even happen after your bank has told you it is cleared funds. By then you may have been pressured into sending real money to the scammer.

Never accept a payment for more than you are owed - real people do not willingly overpay for a service.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Post Reply