Lay My Hat

Hi

This might be me - but this smacks of a scam - don't know why - but maybe it is the number of weeks required or that he has changed his dates.

Originally he wanted 4 weeks from the beginning of March - but gite is not available - so I told via email that it was not available - now he has sent follow up email ...

Thanks for the reply, fortunately, we're flexible with our vacation dates. Keep the dates, April 1 to 29, 2017 (4 weeks) reserved for our vacation; I want my booking confirmed and the rental price paid before we arrive.

I paid another French landlord whose villa got damaged some days ago: flooding in the villa from an exploded water boiler in the kitchen. The villa will no longer be available to rent for a couple of months to do the repairs/renovations. This is the main reason why we're booking your property now, I hope you understand? He's ready to pay back my total rent by bank transfer. It's advisable I use the same money to pay your own rent now so I'll instruct the owner to transfer the 100% refund to your French bank account, send your bank account details.

Use my name and residential address to prepare the booking form/rental contract:

He hasn't asked for price - although he did in his original email. He has provided a full US address thou. I don't like that he is wanting to transfer the money from a French landlord to my French bank account.

Is it me - am I just paranoid?

Thanks Mark

I’ll go with a 90% certainty of scam. I have a feeling there was a very similar story not long ago - previously booked property attacked by Martians or something, owner to send refund directly to the scam victim as payment for scammer’s holiday. If I found the previous thread I’d bump my certainty level from 90% to a squeak under 100%.

No, it's not just you... I'm fairly sure there was another scam alert with almost identical 'major problem with booked property' wording flagged up on here a few months ago - I'll see if I can find it again.

The only thing is, you can't do much with a rib/Iban without your authority other than put money into your account... but perhaps, if they are scammers, they don't know that?

Ecosse wrote:No, it's not just you... I'm fairly sure there was another scam alert with almost identical 'major problem with booked property' wording flagged up on here a few months ago - I'll see if I can find it again.

The only thing is, you can't do much with a rib/Iban without your authority other than put money into your account... but perhaps, if they are scammers, they don't know that?

It would probably lead to an overpayment scam of some sort - I’d have to have a think about the number of steps involved if it’s a transfer though! May be simple money laundering?

Either way, it looks like a fish, smells like a fish and goes “quack”.

Hi

Glad everyone else is of the same opinion as me .... not sure exactly what the scam is - but will ignore from now on.

Mark

Smells like a scam but I can't quite see how it works. The overpayment scam only works with cheques which appear to go through but can be cancelled 10 days or more later when they turn out to be fake. As far as I know a bank transfer can't be faked. Maybe the money is coming from an account they've hacked and they're going to cancel the booking later and ask for a refund to a different account?

You could always get back to him with a "sorry, I cannot take third party payments because my bank is very strict on money laundering, so you will have to pay me direct" type of message, and see if it goes anywhere from there.

IF (and I accept it's probably a big if) he's genuine, he's obviously trying to reduce his hassle and bank charges factor and understandably enough does not want to pay twice for the same period.

We have just had an enquiry from the same gentleman for 3 weeks in early March.
I think I may have some fun with him

Hmmm

He asked me for 4 weeks starting on the 3rd March to 1st April - then changed his mind when I stated we were not available till the beginning of April 17.

He has given a USA address & a USA telephone number - lets see what he gives you & the reason.

I would love to get the booking for April, as it is over £2k!

By the way I am in the Loire Valley, neat Saumur - where are you?

Mark

I had that scam about a month ago. Different name I think, but same story of gite already booked being flooded and wants 'previous owner' to bank transfer what he's already paid to me.
I got a warning from my website provider, but also googled for the text - it comes up as a recognised scam warning, but previously it was payment by cheque - the bank transfer aspect seems to be new.

I'd already said in my first reply that I would only accept an online booking and online payment by credit card which he would have to produce on arrival along with passport, which he totally ignored when going on to the second reply with the flooding story.

(Just checked name used was Jack Aidman then, also US phone and address, a 4 week off season booking suspiciously close in time to force a quick response...)

Hi

Thanks - my 1st thoughts were that it was a scam & now you have confirmed it .... oh well!

Thanks Mark

just heard from him too - 4 wks in our charming gite for a vaction with wife - thax for the alert

He wants two weeks at mine from 25th March. Direct enquiry from my website.

4 weeks from 4th March to 1st April (fool).

.....and just as I was reading here I have a text come through from my website telling me that Wade Denman also wants 4 weeks at my charming French villa March 4th to 25th !!!!!