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 Post subject: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2011 7:40 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 9:10 pm
Posts: 3
Hello,
I have already been scammed by someone-which I will be reporting to the proper authorities. I caught the scam BEFORE any damage was done thank God because I looked up the scammers' so called Company who were to be paying all of her "bills and fees" for her. It was right there on Google and I truly thank whomever took the time to warn me and others of her. Jessica Smith of Works and Natural Resources. That scam was on Craigs list.

I believe that THIS is also a scam being perpetrated on Roommates.com . Does anyone know of THIS person/persons? She/they go by the name Beth Hargreaves. I have her email address as well, but need to check the rules before I post that. I am not sure whether I'm allowed to list that and don't want to break any rules. The following is the email I received from her AFTER I sent her a response via Roommates.com. It is interesting to me that BOTH Jessica Smith and this Beth Hargreaves emails ended up in my spam folder despite having been added to my contacts list.

Hello,


Thanks for getting back to me. My name is Beth Hargreaves,25 years old,fun-loving,outspoken, friendly,clean, caring,and respectful of others, a non-smoker,don't do drugs,drink occasionally,and drama free kind of person. I graduated last year from Edinburgh University,Scotland...I am single and have no children, do bible studies on weekends and sometimes Karaoke nights with my roommates.Being a Christian i've never missed a Sunday without going to Church.I would love to secure the room for myself before my arrival to the state as I'll be moving in with my luggage.You seem to be a very interesting person to be with and I must confess to you that you will enjoy staying with me in the house because I make people smile always.I will be in the States before the end of this Month for the next one year as I am coming for my masters degree programme. I was born in Scotland (UK) and my Dad is from Sunnyvale,CA but has been living in Scotland for over 30 years since my Mom is from Scotland.

I attended The University Of Edinburgh and I speak both French and English fluently,am presently on a research work in Dunedin (New Zealand) but I'm nearing the end of the research now as it's part of my prerequisite for my masters in Microbiology .I would have loved to call you but this is a remote area and calls is hard to go through from here and I don't want to waste much time .I'm really interested in renting from you and i do really love pets but i don't have any at the moment.

I would have loved to see the place but am very far away which makes it a little harder,but with some recent pictures I think I'll be good.I would love to know more about you and if you have garage or parking space as I will have my own car, pls let me know the total payment of the place and more over I will send your email to my Dad for him to email you later bcos he is the one that will be paying the bills but nevertheless,I will like you to send me your full Name and mailing address, your phone number as well,so that my Dad will issue out the payment to you from a United State Bank Cashier's Check (NOT OUT OF STATE CHECK).I will need the following information to have my Dad issue out the rental payment to you .

(1) Full name as it will appear on the payment.
(2) Physical Address
(3) phone number


You can reach my Dad directly if any need arises on +447024019388

Hope to hear from you soon,

I thank you all ahead of time for letting me know if you have had this person tried to or actually scammed you.


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2011 5:36 am 
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Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:33 am
Posts: 123
Messages end up in your spam folder based on the content. It does not need to have anything to do with your contact list.

It's obvious a scam. You can find that story here several times. Dad will send. She has to cancel and will ask for part back. You will send and in the end Dad's cheque turns out to be bad and you are out of money.

_________________
Excuse me, ma'am. Is your refrigerator running? *gasp* It IS? Well, you better go catch it before it runs away! A-ha! A-ha! A-ha!


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2011 6:04 am 
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Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 9:10 pm
Posts: 3
Thank you very much for confirming that this is~yet again~a scam. Yikes this would be 2 out of 3 replies to my Roommate/Rental ads on 2 different sites in just 1 week! UUGH!!! Does anyone have suggestions on how I can change my ads so that they don't attract these scammers so often? It seems to me that this is an awfully high percentage :oops:


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2011 6:57 pm 
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Site Admin/Co-Founder

Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm
Posts: 2921
It has nothing to do with changing your ad to not attract the scammers . . . they are going to answer ALL of the ads. You need to look for the signs of a scam in the email conversation with them. If they want to send you a cashier's check, money order or traveler's check then it is a scam. If they cannot come IN PERSON to view the space you are renting, it is a scam.

_________________
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!

Share your story with the media and educate others about scams! Details here http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6319
Sign our petition http://www.change.org/actions/view/crea ... s_programs
Follow our blog http://scamvictimsunited.wordpress.com/
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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2011 1:57 am 
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Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 9:10 pm
Posts: 3
Thank you very much for your response to my question regarding whether I should change my ad. I have already begun to let anyone who inquires about whether the share/rental is still available that I am only accepting LOCAL applicants and that I require an IN PERSON interview/meeting before I will consider renting to anyone...


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 12:07 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 11:59 am
Posts: 1
The below is an email that I received after "Wendy" replied to my add for a roommate. After reading the email it felt a little off; the way things were worded and the punctuation of sentences. I feel this is a scam; what are your thoughts on the below communication? I have also put in bold the wording that I felt was off.

Hello there Timothy.Thank you for getting back to me cos honestly speaking my accommodation needs is really on my mind and i would like to rent the room for about 6-months and if possible it can extend for 12-months(So i am renting for a minimum of 6-months starting from JUNE 12.My joy is that i am able to secure a room down now so that i can then be rest assured that by the time i come back to the states a good place will be ready for me.My accommodation needs is a great priority to me and i want to make sure that i secure a good room down before i return back to the states in JUNE 12.
Honestly,i would have loved to drop by and see the room myself but i am not in the state right now but do you have pictures of the place?so that i can have a visual perception of what it looks like though i think it will be okay with me since it is of good size.I am very sure you will never regret renting the room to me.I will like to know the total move in cost.
I am an easy-going person,i don't drink, i don't smoke though i do not have any allergy to people who smokes being around me.I am very friendly,neat and i love going to the movies.I love kids so much.I am 29 years old,quite easy to get along with and i have no criminal records nor bad habits.My dad is from Salem,Oregon while my mum British.I actually lived most part of my teen age in Oregon,U.S.A with mum and dad but are separated now though my dad is dead now and my mum went back to UK so that she can monitor her fabrics business.I am currently with her now in UK.I have been here with her for some weeks now but i will be returning back to the states and my joy is that i am able to secure a room down and come back to the state asap.I had my degree in nursing years ago and i also have my own Fabrics business too.I promise to pay my rent and utility bills on time.
Thanks a lot and i look forward to seeing the total move in cost in your next email so that i can secure the place down.
Miss Wendy Jack


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 1:39 pm 
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Site Admin/Co-Founder

Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm
Posts: 2921
yes, this is a scam

_________________
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!

Share your story with the media and educate others about scams! Details here http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6319
Sign our petition http://www.change.org/actions/view/crea ... s_programs
Follow our blog http://scamvictimsunited.wordpress.com/
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
_______________________________________________
Has this site helped you?
Buy us a coffee to say thanks ~ http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/donations.htm


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:21 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 11:36 am
Posts: 1
I joined roommates.com in june. I contacted about 15 suitable people and no one seemed to be interested.
Finally someone contacted me in July by the name of Wendy Jack from the UK and now I've just discovered it's nothing but a scam. i should have listened to gut-as time went on i was getting more anxious about certain things-she didn't have any furniture; she didn't have a job waiting for her here; she didn't have a car; she told me to stop looking for other roommates and hold the room for her; she kept changing her arrival date. She sent me a cashiers check for $2800 then said she needed $1380 back for an airline ticket. Well, I fell for it. She then asked for another $600 back for taxes and I wired that back to her. When I was told by my friends it was nothing but a scam I notified Western Union first then roommates.com and they replied "we're so sorry-we will block her name". I filed a report with my local police dept. but they don't have the resources to invistigate fraud. They told me to contact the att. general's office and they told me to go to small claims court to try to get my money back.
I am in the process of filling a claim with the Internet fraud website.So now I'm out all this money and don't even know where there is a safe place to look for a roommate.


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:40 pm 
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Site Admin/Co-Founder

Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm
Posts: 2921
I am so sorry to hear what has happened to you!

Some victims feel better once they talk about it, and knowing that their story has helped to save someone else from becoming a victim . . . you should look at this message thread

http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/vie ... =29&t=4386

_________________
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!

Share your story with the media and educate others about scams! Details here http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6319
Sign our petition http://www.change.org/actions/view/crea ... s_programs
Follow our blog http://scamvictimsunited.wordpress.com/
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
_______________________________________________
Has this site helped you?
Buy us a coffee to say thanks ~ http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/donations.htm


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:58 am 
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Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:37 am
Posts: 1
Hello,

Well I was just reading through this, because looking for a roommate on craigslist.org I get a lot of e-mails from scammers. I know well how to avoid them, I had run into a near-miss before. Anyway, I am definitely annoyed with all of these scammers and have very well considered limiting my search to not only locals, but to phone calls only. Still, what I really had to say about this particular post is that I've done a little research (what's kind of funny is I just got an e-mail from Brianna Hargraves this morning), and just to let you know that particulars on the scammers, they are from a foreign country, most likely Nigeria, the scam is an offshoot of the Nigerian 419 scam. I would like to place an e-mail I got back from one of them after I slung some very weighty words at them, so I'll do that at the bottom, edited if need be. Anyway, please enjoy that, for those of you that have had to deal with these people, or worse have been taken advantage of by being a wonderful and trusting person.

Thank you folks.

"OMG,WHAT A LOVELY MESSAGE U SENT...BUT I'M SURE YOU ARE THE POOREST PERSON IN THE STATE ,BECAUSE AMERICANS LIKE YOU ALWAYS PAY US OUR DUE.IF U DONT PAY UR PEOPLE WE PAY BECAUSE U ALREADY CAME TO AFRICA TO GET ALL OUR MINERAL RESOURCES BUT U ARE NOW PAYING FOR IT .... "

P.S. Also be aware that when receiving messages from these persons, the first e-mail says something like "May I know is the room still available?" if you reply to that you will get the next message like the one posted above from a different e-mail address. The first one comes with a nice craigslist.org scam report button at the bottom, the next one doesn't. I definitely recommend reporting both, you can forward the second to abuse@craigslist.org


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams- Brianna Hargreaves
PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:39 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:32 pm
Posts: 1
I had an ad posted on craigslist looking for roommates and I received the same EXACT email from a person claiming to be "Brianna Hargreaves" with a super weird gmail email address (gtsytftsjvgsvjbschs@gmail.com) and also the email address fillmeinnovations@hotmail.com. SCAM:

Hello,


Thanks for getting back to me. My name is Brianna Hargreaves,25 years old,fun-loving,outspoken, friendly,clean, caring,and respectful of others, a non-smoker,don't do drugs,drink occasionally,and drama free kind of person. I graduated last year from Edinburgh University,Scotland...I am single and have no children, do bible studies on weekends and sometimes Karaoke nights with my roommates.Being a Christian I've never missed a Sunday without going to Church.I would love to secure the room for myself before my arrival to the state as I'll be moving in with my luggage.You seem to be a very interesting person to be with and I must confess to you that you will enjoy staying with me in the house because I make people smile always.I will be in the States before the end of this Month for the next one year as I am coming for my masters degree program. I was born in Scotland (UK) and my Dad is from Sunnyvale,CA but has been living in Scotland for over 30 years since my Mom is from Scotland.

I attended The University Of Edinburgh and I speak both French and English fluently,am presently on a research work in Dunedin (New Zealand) but I'm nearing the end of the research now as it's part of my prerequisite for my masters in Microbiology .I would have loved to call you but this is a remote area and calls is hard to go through from here and I don't want to waste much time .I'm really interested in renting from you and i do really love pets but i don't have any at the moment.

I would have loved to see the place but am very far away which makes it a little harder,but with some recent pictures I think I'll be good.I would love to know more about you and if you have garage or parking space as I will have my own car, please let me know the total payment of the place and more over I will send your email to my Dad for him to email you later since he is the one that will be paying the bills but nevertheless,I will like you to send me your full Name and mailing address, your phone number as well,so that my Dad will issue out the payment to you from a United State Bank Cashier's Check (NOT OUT OF STATE CHECK).I will need the following information to have my Dad issue out the rental payment to you .

(1) Full name as it will appear on the payment.
(2) Physical Address
(3) phone number


You can reach my Dad directly if any need arises on +447031860998

Hope to hear from you soon,


Brianna Hargreaves


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:57 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:45 am
Posts: 1
the email that i received. it is almost word for word but with a different name.


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 Post subject: Re: Roommates/Rental Scams
PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:43 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:15 pm
Posts: 2
The latest name being used is Jennifer Cole. I am glad I found your website, nothing lost but some time.





Hello Paul,

Thanks for your prompt response. I hope we could be good neighbor play pool as a vocational game but my sport is scrabble and I play it well. Am 30yrs Old and I am a Pathologist as well, could you tell me more about the area because I won't be able to check it out in person . I have also attached my picture and I would love to see your pictures too if you have any. This will give both of us an ideal picture of ourselves so won't have any difficulty identifying ourselves when we finally meet. I would like to rent for a long term period. I really need a place to put my head when am in states. I am very nice and loving person, fun to be with. I don't keep late night. Most importantly I am respectful of others privacy, time, and personal items. I am really interested in your place and I work (Make researches and compile list), I would like to arrive as soon as payment is confirmed and the accommodation is secured, depending on when the place will be available. Let me know when the place is available and how long you want to lease your place for?

Concerning the payment,My supervisor will be responsible for the payment. Please let me know if a cashier's check or Money Order will do, So that I can contact my supervisor that the apartment is ready.Calculate the first month rent and deposit if required. I would love to move in by first week of December, and will be staying for a long time depending on how long you want to rent the place 12Months to be precise. Let me know how long you want rent the place.

Also would love to know more about you, what kind of job do you do? What kind of music do listen to,because I like pop and classics. I have no problem sharing apartment with either a male or female, trust me you will enjoy my stay. Please get back me as soon as possible and send me the Name and Address where the check will be mailed to you, so that my supervisor can process it and send it to you as soon as possible. Tell me some more about your self.

Hoping to hear back from you soon.

Thanks and God Bless,

Jennifer Cole












From: Jennifer Cole <jennifercole323@gmail.com>
To:
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2012 1:05 PM
Subject: Re: Roommates.com




Hello ,

How are you doing? I went through your profile as posted on roommates.com and am Interested in renting the place you have available.

I will start by introducing myself briefly; I am Jennifer Cole 30 years old, Am Originally from Ontario, Canada and grew up in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

I am a Pathologist by profession, presently working with The European Public Health Alliance under the inspection of W.H.O/UNICEF as a microbiologist/Researcher; I do more of humanitarian work which is out of my real profession. Moreover, I just finished a project here in Netherlands, about treatment of water and to educate Communities on intensive health-care.

The project was initiated by UNICEF in conjunction with EPHA; I led the troop to actualize the conclusion of the project. My next appointment is in the United States, I will have to move in by December/January. Due to this reason, I had to make the posting to get a room urgently for me to get a place to live on my arrival to the states. I have some personal effect to move in such as my Desktop computer, bedroom furniture.
I get lot of acknowledgment about me been friendly, I love kids, I’m laid back, I don't move about at nights, love reading novels and listening to the news because am very conservative about politics & entertainment.

The duration of my stay is for 12 months as my supervisor will come visiting once in awhile to get reports from me, a letter of appointment about my first assignment by my supervisor upon my arrival. Precisely, I might be working in schools, Laboratories and Hospitals.

Am writing to confirm if you still have the room available for rent......If YES, Kindly reply the following questions below:
1) I will like to have the description of the room, size, and the equipments in there.
2) I will like to have the rent fee per month plus the utilities.
3) I will also be coming with some of my furniture, electronics that is if it is allowed, like bed, book shelf because I read a lot, shoe rank etc
4) I will also like to know if you accept Cashier's Check or Money Order so that I can contact our payment department for the payment. The company is responsible for the payment.
5) If the 4 questions are YES, I will like to know the total cost for the initial move as in first month rent plus utilities and if deposit is necessary.
6) I will like to know the major intersection
7) I will like to know as well when the place will be available and how long you wish to rent it out.


Hope to hear from you soon.

Respectfully,

Jennifer.








On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 5:08 PM, > wrote:



Sorry it took a while to get back to you. I was waiting for someone who had looked at the room to let me know if he wanted. He did not, so if you are still interested, it is available. You can call me and we can meet to show you the place, I will not be available until next weekend, I hope you can wait.
Thanks
Paul


------------------------------
On Tue, Nov 20, 2012 8:34 PM EST Jennifer Cole wrote:

>Hello ,
> My name is Jennifer Cole and i am 30 years old.I am interested in your
>place for rent.I am a very tolerant person .I don't interfere into other
>peoples matters and i don't do drugs.I am a Pathologist (professional).
>Please reply this email to jennifercole323@gmail.com .I am always on gmail
>messenger on the same ID. You can add me online there too. i look forward
>to hearing back from you.
>
>Thanks
>
>Jennifer Cole


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