Real Estate Consultant · Bellingham , WA · Member since 2008 · 15 posts · 0 votes
Anyone have any problems in their area with craigslist scammers. I have this guy in africa that takes pictures of my listings and places them for rent on craigslist. I am getting calls weeking from renters wondering why my name is on the sign and why I am in africa. I am curious if anyon else is having this issue.
Here is a funny one for you from Craigslist from a renter that inquired about one properties that was available. He said he was a medical student and his email name came through as Deep Kum. I called him a scammer and he was rather offended. When we meet him at the property it turns out he was indeed a medical student from India and his email name was short for Deepak Kumar.
Eric, we've seen that up here even in remote Bozeman; the WSJ just ran an article on that in the past 10 days - might be worth digging that one up online if you have a subscription....
Eric, I've never heard of this. I was in Ghana for 3 weeks three years ago and I never seen a real estate sign but I did speak with several builders there and I still never seen a sign.
I was also wondering what was in this for the scammer. There was an article in this weekend's Denver Post that explained this.
A scammer, often in the scammer haven of west Africa, copies your pictures and puts up an ad for a rental. They say they had to transfer suddenly, and the place is now for rent. The rent is below market. When you, as a potential tenant, contact them, you find out they are in Africa, and have the keys. They will send these to you so you can check it out. But wait, who the heck are you, wanting the keys to my house? You need to send me a deposit of $1500, wired to my bank in Africa, THEN I'll send you the keys.
Here is a funny one for you from Craigslist from a renter that inquired about one properties that was available. He said he was a medical student and his email name came through as Deep Kum. I called him a scammer and he was rather offended. When we meet him at the property it turns out he was indeed a medical student from India and his email name was short for Deepak Kumar.
I have heard and read from other agents that when they are posting rentals on craig list, scam artists will copy the ad contents and post with their email contact info. People who inquire are sent a this type email...
Hello,
Thanks for your response regarding your interest in having my apartment for rent.The apartment is much available for now.I want you to know that I am the owner of this building situated at XXX Malaya Way, Centennial Denver .But i am now presently in West Africa for my Hopitals Project prayer crusade with my wife and we have the keys right here with us.I will like to inform you that it was due to my transfer that makes us to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a resposible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own.So for now,We are here in West Africa,NIGERIA our new house and also with the keys of the house,we are trying to look for an agent that we can give this document before we left but could not see and we are as well as dont want our house to be used any how in our absent that is why we took it along with us here.We are only willing to give the apartment out to a lovely and caring family only, so if you know you cannot give the apartment the neatness it deserves please don't contact me.But if you promise to always take good care of the apartment,get back to me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in rentiong home.Hope you are okay with the monthly price of $1000 with hydro,heat laundry facilities,air-condition and the security deposit is $300.i look forward to hearing from you ASAP so that i can forward you an application to fill out and discuss on how to get the house for rent,also are you ready to rent it now or when?pet is allow
Thanks,
Await your reply
If inquirer is interested and wants to rent, they receive this type response from the scammer...
I have also heard of For Sale signs being removed and the copied for sale ad is changed to a rent ad. Once they get the security deposit, adios.
Someone copied a job ad I put on CL but left all of my contact information intact. I had someone contact me from a different state for a job posting I put up and he was very confused when he found out I was in PA and he saw my ad in his home state's local area.
I heard part of a piece on NPR last weekend about "scammer baiters". I'd heard of baiters before, but these guys too it do a whole new level. They had baited one of these scammers into traveling from Nigeria to Chad, and then onto nearly into the Darfur region. All the while using the same techniques the scammers use to lure their victims. Total time before the guy gave up and came home was something like four months.
I heard part of a piece on NPR last weekend about "scammer baiters". I'd heard of baiters before, but these guys too it do a whole new level. They had baited one of these scammers into traveling from Nigeria to Chad, and then onto nearly into the Darfur region. All the while using the same techniques the scammers use to lure their victims. Total time before the guy gave up and came home was something like four months.