Something Smells Fishy!
I have recently received an e-mail from a Dr Ismael Moreno. He is in the UK and want to move to the states. I have no idea how he got my info as I have a mgmt co. handling the rental. HE HAS NOT SEEN ANY PICTURES OF THE PROPERTY. Yet he wants to sign a 12 mo. lease and send me a cashiers check for first month and deposit. He also is asking that we pay the furniture company with funds he will provide. (furniture to be here before him)
Has anyone ever had a person willing to sign a lease without ever seeing the property?
This is a scam..... Do not do it. I have gotten these before and deleted them. Also it has been on news shows like 20/20 and the like. Hope this helps...
THANKS - I did find the scam info after posting
Get his full contact information and report it to the FBI.
I take a certain amount of pride in being the first to report this scam:
http://www.thecreativeinvestor.com/residential/modules.php?name=Articles&file=article&articleid=900
How it works is you get a phony cahsiers check that you deposit. The scammer hopes that you will immediately take your hard earned cash and send the funds onto whomever he asks you to send it to. Four or five days after you have sent your hard earned money, you learn the original cashiers check was a fake..
When I post ads on Craigs List or any online service, I make clear statements "If you are moving from outside the US and ask me to take receipt of a cashiers check in excess of the amount due, think again." I still have people respond with the scam emails but the idiots ask questions that are answered in the ads (# beds, size of house, etc) so it is obvious they are blasting their scam emails out to people without reading the ads.
One time I had a very "sincere" email from an art student in blah blah blah saying his father had finally agreed to accept my apartment but would be sending his travel $ along with the rent. I replied, "Once I get the $, cash the check and validate it is good, then we can talk." Needless to say, I never got another email from him.
People actually fall for these scams. The scammers typically come from Nigeria -- notice that the emailers say they are from the UK but their English is horrific. If they were from England then they could at least speak proper English. Any way, there are NO reprocussions for these scammers as Nigeria does not collaborate with the FBI, CIA, etc. I once tried to give the information to various agencies including my local internet fraud "police" and no one was even interested in taking the info as there is nothing they can do.
If you want more information on how this works, here is a site you can go to.
http://www.j-walk.com/other/conf/index.htm
John (LV)
REPORT.
*FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
* FTC online complaint form (www.ftc.gov)
* Internet Fraud Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov/)
ok, thanks!
Here in TN it is called a "zero lot-line" house