SDB1985

Reminds me of something similar when I was looking for new flat in london. I mailed someone via gumtree (like craigslist if you dont know), and was sent some specs/pics of a 1 bed place, right on the river bank, all bills incl, £1100p/m. Which considering my bedroom which I rent in a 2bed shared flat, costs almost exactly that much sounded too good to be true.

Anyway, I mailed back saying I would be interested in viewing (benefit of the doubt etc). I received a response telling me that whilst he couldnt take me on a personal viewing, if I sent him a deposit - fully refundable of course, he would send me the keys and I could take a look myself and decide if I wanted to move in!! Natrually I wasnt going to go any further here, but he had copied a link to his preferred money transfer service, so out of curiosity I took a look. It all looked very genuine and liable to trick many people.

Anyway, I googled the money transfer company, found it didnt exist and that his link was obviously not going to an actual website as the "website" address didnt exist.....must have been an intranet or something.

Needless to say I didnt proceed in anway, deleted the mail, then resorted my comptuer as I was paranoid about the stupid link I had clicked on!

Rather professionally done scam - I reported it to the website, but I doubt they do anything as Ive seen the same place advertised elsewhere since

Giantaxe

Craigslist is full of rental scams - under the market price listings of places, complete with interior pictures lifted from for sale listings. I do wonder whether people fall for them and send off money.

GeoffM

I guess they do. Thankfully we found a genuine listing. I did enquire of one and got a response about the landlord being away - which is exactly one of the things CL warns you about, so one has to be a little silly to ignore such warnings.

Giantaxe

The last place I rented I did it without seeing the landlord. But I did do a records check to make sure she owned the place and that the address she was living at was on the records as being owned by her too.

GeoffM

I did want to do that but, being fresh off the boat, didn't know where to start with that sort of quest! The fact she had a folder full of rentals and big bundles of keys with her gave some comfort though. Turns out her, her husband, and one of their brothers own something like 20+ houses between them for rent, none with mortgages. My rent checks go to a rather sprawling estate. I think they've done well for themselves!