[HELP_AGAINST_FRAUD]

:::::WARNING! BE CAREFULL OF FRAUDS! IMPORTANT TO READ!:::::


Hi all,

I just want you to be carefull with all the gumtree ads.

There was an ad posted about the 01/04/2008. The posting reference was 22217815 . This concerned a newly refurbished one double bedroom flat in Paddington, for £250 pw all bills included.
The contact was bensflat@yahoo.com. Of course, this was a fake email adress.

This is a serious mail I'm sending. I had to report the fraud to the police and the bank. Anybody who could see this ad should also tell the police.
This is the best period to look for a flat, but the best also for the cons.
Just to help you not to be in the same situation as I am now, I give you some informations about what happened:

_I sent a mail to bensflat@yahoo.com saying I was really interested in renting the flat.

_I visited the flat

_I contacted the "landlord" (probably he got a sim card from anywhere, by that way he had a proper cell number). He asked me to send him a copy of my passport and a reference letter from my boss.

_When he received the documents, he even phoned my boss to check if I was a reliable person

_After a while I wasn't sure I wanted to take it so he offered me to visit the flat again. So I have been visiting the flat again (the person who showed me the flat that time was different from the first visit)
_He sent me a fake contract, with no signature. He filled in a lot of information anyway (ie: location of the flat, name of the sollicitors,...)

_He asked me to send him the deposit by cleared funds. I asked him for his passport as well as I have never met him before. What he gave me instead was his registered company number, you can find all the informations on the companies house website. The problem is, the company registration doesn't ask for an id card or a passport. So he registered a company under a fake name.

_The bank I transfered the money to was the same as mine. So I thought it was safe to track the money if anything went wrong. BUT it's a mistake. Bear in mind if the company closes its account, you may not be able to get your money back.

_His "associate" called me as well. After that, I couldn't reach them on the phone. Neither him or his colleague.



So please, be much more than carefull.

I lost a lot of money, even though I checked all the details the cheater gave me. He created a fake company few months ago, and then an account. Unless I have checked the informations to the police, there was nothing I could do. This was set up by many people, a while ago.


I would suggest you to visit the flat in the presence of the proper landlord. If not, check at the police station if the flat is properly registered under the same name.
I hope this mail can help.

A.