[onny]

This is quite well done and a rather clever idea - some people have too much time. This ad is also on another site under a different email address.

The orginal add (what a 'steal'!):

£90 2br Bright Apartment in prime location
---------------------------------------------------------
Date available: 22/01
Location: London - Central
Price: £90 pw
---------------------------------------------------------
The flat comprises 2 double bedrooms, seperate large living room and a dining area, seperate fully fitted kitchen, one bathroom, one steam shower room en-suite, and one WC. , Underfloor heating.
Close to transport (Marble Arch tube station) and shopping facilities (Oxford street), Hyde Park within walking distance.

http://www.gumtree.com/london/31/7560931.html

Email 1:
Hello, My name is Hrisula Stavros I am from Greece,
Athens. I have the apartment for rent, the rent is 350
£ per month this includes all bils. My husband was
British and he wanted the apartment in London. Last
year we had an accident and my husband lost his life .
I also lost my hearing in the car accident that we
had. Now I live in Athens, Greece. I have received
another offers today about 50 proposals and I want yo
to know that I only let the apartment if you pay in
advance the rent for three months. The apartment on
Harrowby Street it is very close to Marble Arch and
Edgware Road tube Thank you

My Response 1:
Hello Hrisula,

My condolences to you. Please allow me to ease any worries or concern you may have about the apartment. I would be happy to pay three months rent in advance on an ongoing basis. The apartments second bedroom would remain empty, so I could have friends from NZ stay when they are passing through London.

Are you in London at present, how would you like to proceed?

I thought I would mention that I would be happy to pack and ship (or store) any personal belongings that you would like removed from the house.

Email 2:
I rent the apartment for unlimited time.
I am in Athens as I have told you.
The apartment is very beutifull the rent is 350
GBP/month (this includes all bils)
If you wish to rent it you will have to pay in advance
for 3 months.
The key to the apartment is here with me.
I will come and give you the key and we will make the
contract.
I will think of a solution for this because I don't
want to come for nothing and to loose my time or
yours.
As I have told you I have received many offers so it
is hard for me to decide.
I told you that I lost my hearing and since than I
have to go to the hospital every week and I will have
little time to spend in UK because of that.

My Response 2:
Hi Hrisula, thank you for coming back to me I am very excited at the possibility to rent your apartment.
Do you have anyone you trust in London to facilitate the rental of the property that I can meet and draw up a contract with as to save you the trip?
Otherwise, I am be happy to make time so it is convenient for you.
I have British citizen ship and a very secure job in London, all going well I will look to hold the apartment long term.

As I said, I am happy to pay three months rent in advance on an ongoing basis, and I would be happy to pack and ship any personal items you may have in the apartment and manage any requirements the house may have going forward.

How would you like to proceed?

Email 3:
I have received many other offers so I don't know what
to choose.
I don't want to make a trip for nothing and not to
find you there and loose time.
I also don't want to loose your time either.
Three weeks ago I have received also many offers to
rent it,
one person told me to come to show him the apartment
and to make the rent papers.
I have took a plane and I arived in London the next
day.
I showed the apartment to that person and he was
impresed but he told me that he has the money for one
month in advance and that I have to wait another two
months to pay me the rest.
I lost my time this way and money on flights.
I also go here in Athens at the hospital twice a week
so I can't stay for a long time in UK.
Here is what I propose:
Make the transfer using western union on a Friend Name
or to a Family Member of yours for the 3 months rent
and reply with the western union scaned receipt jpg
format.
This way I will be sure that you have the money to pay
me in advance and also that will not loose my time and
that I will not make the trip for nothing.
I will support the transfer fees from my pocket when
we will meet or you can deduct them from the rent.
I will expect the scaned receipt and we will arange a
meeting a soon after that.
We will go and see the apartment and after that we
will go to pick up the money from the western union.
(this means that the friend or relative must be with
you at that time)
I PREFERE THAT YOUR RELATIVE OR FRIEND TO BE A MALE
PERSON BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN AND I DON'T USUALY CARY
THIS KIND OF AMOUNT

My Response 3:
Hi Hirsula, please see a copy of my last monthly pay check from my company attached to this mail. I can have an email sent from my our finance directot confirm that it is authentic. As you can see from this monthly statment that I have the funds to pay you three months in advance. I would be happy to guarntee i will take the apartment for 3 months and facilitate the re-rental if i was not happy with the house.

Email 4:
Three weeks ago I have received also many offers to
rent it,
one person told me to come to show him the apartment
and to make the rent papers.
I have took a plane and I arived in London the next
day.
I showed the apartment to that person and he was
impresed but he told me that he has the money for one
month in advance and that I have to wait another two
months to pay me the rest.
I lost my time this way and money on flights.
I also go here in Athens at the hospital twice a week
so I can't stay for a long time in UK.
I have received other offers so if you don't want to
proceed the way I told you please tell me so I will
accept other offer.

Response 4:
Hi Hrisula, apologies but what you are proposing sounds a little risky, although you require a passport to receive funds from Western Union someone could still forge documents to withdraw the funds. Also, I can not see how it is any more assurance that i will give you the money and the pay slip provided is proof that I have the money. If you do not have anyone in London that can facilitate the rental of the apartment then please accept my word that i will rent the apartment and take care of it for a minimum 3 months.

Kind Regards,

Email 5:
You have offended me.

This looks to be a 100% scam to me, and as we can not realy trace the offender thought it best I expose the technique.

[Bluey]

It's a routine scam that is practiced on a daily basis on the Gumtree (and any internet site that offers free accommodation).

Your fave 'landlady' - a scamster probably using a PC anywhere in the world but it's a type of fraud particularly prevalent in Eastern Europe and Africa - has already tried to entice others

http://forums.gumtree.com/topic52040.html

Presumably, such is her success that she doesn't even bother to change her contact name.

You can see this Harrwoby 'flat' has been advertised now for months - must be pretty lucrative as idiots are flinging themselves at the scammer.

http://www.professionalaccommodation.com/notices/notice.asp?id=318147

Why would anyone think that you can get a 2 bedroom flat in Marble Arch for £90 per week when the market rent for the area is closer to £600? To buy a studio there costs nearly £300k!

http://www.foxtons.co.uk/property-for-sale-in-marylebone/myfr0086385

[miss quark]

I love the line about been deaf, so she obviously wont be able to talk over the phone. You should have told her you are also deaf and have a text phone. Tell me what her email is I love a good scam bait.

[Bluey]

Miss Quark,

The link to the advert is still live so you should be able to drop a quick line of interest about it to this poor deaf landlady.

Bluey

[miss quark]

cheers bluey, I'm on to it.
Will keep you both updated.

[twiggy]

Just to let you know we have been made aware of this advertiser by someone reporting this ad to us using 'Report this ad...' (perhaps it was one of you?!) and taken appropriate action.

Thanks all for your help in keeping Gumtree 'clean'

[miss quark]

No email back yet. I'm desperate too, I've got shit loads of money and will be homeless tommorow.

[Bluey]

Yeah, I didn't get any offer of accommodation from an overseas deaf/mute/blind landlady that just about manages to hobble to her local Western Union agent to collect the cash.

My theory is that the free email accounts probably got canned by the admin of Hotmail/Yahoo/Gmail or whatever after they were reported for abuse.

[Bluey]

By the way, I had the usual 419 scam of an Aids ridden homeless African widow suffering from Alopecia and Norma had a widowed 'employer' try to scam her for an au pair position.

So we introduced them to each other and suggested they ought to meet up.... Never did get a response, though.

"http://forums.gumtree.com/topic51415.html
http://forums.gumtree.com/topic51359.html

My approach was from Sandra osei in 'Ghana' - s-adico7@hotmail.com or sandra9osei@excite.com

Ever since my husband, Mr. Edward Osei, Director of former Goldfields Mining
Company Ghana died of AIDS and I was tested positive of the AIDS virus, my
late husband’s family relations wouldn’t just let me and my children be.

My children have stopped going to school because they could no longer stand
the humiliations from fellow students. The embarrassments are getting on my
nerves but what can I do? Also, my late husband relations have ceased all
our live earned and even recently ejected us from our matrimonial home.

I would have loved to travel out of the country to a place where I will have
peace and spend the rest of my life with my children but I couldn’t make it
for I am weak and severely sick. Moreover, no Embassy would grant me Visa to
her Country with my hairs withering and boils all over my body. I will like
you to keep this top secret and confidential.

From all indications, I know that my days are numbered. In the light of
this, I have contacted you
to assist me to transfer out of Ghana, the SUM OF 12 Million USD, which my
husband deposited under the custody of a security company here in Ghana, for
the
up-keep of my children; so that you will safe-keep it in your bank account
for my children, as they will be coming over to your country in due course
to live and further their education.

My dear, I need a sponsor for this project and after the funds are secured
in your account YOU WILL INVEST IT FOR MY CHILDREN IN COMMERCIAL ESTATE OR
ANY BUSINESS OF YOUR CHOICE, WHICH YOU DEEM HEALTHY. For your effort, I am
prepared to give you 30% of the total funds."

Blah, blah.

[miss quark]

I'm gutted I have a folder on my computor dedicated to scam baiting. I have a fax number (goes to my email addy) and my own money orders. I tell them I dont deal with western union and that I only use
United Nationals Overseas Bank drafts.
I made them using "paint" and copied a visa symbol from the net onto it. I tell the they can cash them anywhere they see the VISA symbol. Oh how I laugh when they say they cant cash them anywhere.

[miss quark]

[Bluey]

Quarky,

Our fave landlady is advertising on Hallo London

http://www.hallolondon.co.uk/free_ads/accommodation/two_bedroom_flats_&_houses_!33/New_Fully_Furnished_2_Double_Bedroom_~55295.html

In case the ad is taken down (as I've reported it to their admin), her email address is listed as

hrisula.stavros@gmail.com

Enjoy!!

[miss quark]

[dialcab]

Breast Exam Scam
Status: News
76-year-old William Winikoff of Coconut Creek, Florida has been charged with lewd and lascivious conduct for posing as a doctor and offering women free breast exams. Remarkably, he duped at least two women with this scam:

Carrying a black “doctor’s” bag, investigators claim Winnikoff walked up to a apartment building and told a 36-year-old woman, that he was in the neighborhood offering free breast exams. According to police, the woman let Winikoff into her apartment and the phony doctor began the exam, touching first her breasts, and then, her genitals. The woman quickly realized that Winikoff was not a real doctor and she called 911, but the fake doctor had already left her apartment to find another victim; a 33 year old woman who lives in the same apartment complex.

The Smoking Gun has some more details about this case.

It may sound like a stupid scam, but variations of it seem to happen more often than you would think. And the perpetrators always manage to find women who will fall for it. For instance, in October 2002 Zachariah Scott, a Toronto hospital employee, was charged with telling women in the obstetrics ward of Mount Sinai Hospital that he was a 'lactation consultant,' and then examining their breasts. No one realized anything was amiss until one of the women asked a nurse if she could see him again. She was told that the hospital only had female technicians.

Even weirder was the case, reported by Portuguese newspapers in 2002, of a woman who phoned other women and told them about a revolutionary new technology that allowed breast examinations to be conducted by satellite. All they had to do, she told them, was stand topless in an open window and a passing satellite would conduct a mammogram. Every woman who was contacted complied with the strange instructions. One woman even stripped entirely naked. The phone would then ring again, but instead of getting their mammogram results, the phony doctor would describe her sexual fantasies to the women in graphic detail.

[michelle_5132]

The exact same emails were sent to me but under a different name. Definate scam! beware!

From: Alexina Dimitrios <z20guk@yahoo.com>
>To: michelle_5132@hotmail.com
>Subject: 2 BR Flat - Harrowby Street
>Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 12:36:03 -0800 (PST)
> >Hello, My name is Alexina Dimitrios I am from
Greece,
> >Athens. I have the apartment for rent, the rent is
>350
> >£ per month this includes all bils. My husband was
> >British and he wanted the apartment in London. Last
> >year we had an accident and my husband lost his
life
>.
> >I also lost my hearing in the car accident that we
> >had. Now I live in Athens, Greece. I have received
> >another offers today about 50 proposals and I want
yo
> >to know that I only let the apartment if you pay in
> >advance the rent for three months. The apartment on
> >Harrowby Street it is very close to Marble Arch and
> >Edgware Road tube Thank you

reply

I'm really sorry for your loss.
>
>Yes I could pay rent three months in advance. When
>could I come and see it and when could I move in?
>Email me back or call me on 0*********0 or
0*********9
>
>Thankyou
>
>michelle

reply

From: Alexina Dimitrios <z20guk@yahoo.com>
To: michelle mhjdhs <michelle_5132@hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: 2 BR Flat - Harrowby Street
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 14:21:32 -0800 (PST)
>I rent the apartment for unlimited time.
>I am in Athens as I have told you.
>The apartment is very beutifull the rent is 350
>GBP/month (this includes all bils)
>If you wish to rent it you will have to pay in
advance
>for 3 months.
>The key to the apartment is here with me.
>I will come and give you the key and we will make the
>contract.
>I will think of a solution for this because I don't
>want to come for nothing and to loose my time or
>yours.
>As I have told you I have received many offers so it
>is hard for me to decide.
>I told you that I lost my hearing and since than I
>have to go to the hospital every week and I will have
>little time to spend in UK because of that.
>
>Thank you
>
>Please email me to keep me informed about your free
>time .
>--- michelle mhjdhs <michelle_5132@hotmail.com>
wrote:


reply

If you would like to come sooner rather than wait till
april that is fine also, what ever is good for you.

michelle


reply

I have received many other offers so I don't know what
to choose.
I don't want to make a trip for nothing and not to
find you there and loose time.
I also don't want to loose your time either.
Three weeks ago I have received also many offers to
rent it,
one person told me to come to show him the apartment
and to make the rent papers.
I have took a plane and I arived in London the next
day.
I showed the apartment to that person and he was
impresed but he told me that he has the money for one
month in advance and that I have to wait another two
months to pay me the rest.
I lost my time this way and money on flights.
I also go here in Athens at the hospital twice a week
so I can't stay for a long time in UK.
Here is what I propose:
Make the transfer using western union on a Friend Name
or to a Family Member of yours for the 3 months rent
and reply with the western union scaned receipt jpg
format.
This way I will be sure that you have the money to pay
me in advance and also that will not loose my time and
that I will not make the trip for nothing.
I will support the transfer fees from my pocket when
we will meet or you can deduct them from the rent.
I will expect the scaned receipt and we will arange a
meeting a soon after that.
We will go and see the apartment and after that we
will go to pick up the money from the western union.
(this means that the friend or relative must be with
you at that time)



I PREFERE THAT YOUR RELATIVE OR FRIEND TO BE A MALE
PERSON BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN AND I DON'T USUALY CARY
THIS KIND OF AMOUNT
--- michelle mhjdhs <michelle_5132@hotmail.com> wrote:



>

[GermanTurk]

hi all,
l got the same mail from MISS Alexina Dimitrios .

HERE IS THE ORIGINAL MAIL;

Hello, My name is Alexina Dimitrios I am from Greece,
Athens. I have the apartment for rent, the rent is 350
£ per month this includes all bils. My husband was
British and he wanted the apartment in London. Last
year we had an accident and my husband lost his life .
I also lost my hearing in the car accident that we
had. Now I live in Athens, Greece. I have received
another offers today about 50 proposals and I want yo
to know that I only let the apartment if you pay in
advance the rent for three months. The apartment on
Harrowby Street it is very close to Marble Arch and
Edgware Road tube Thank you


AND THEN she send me also very nice pictures, come on people, how is it possible, that such a paradise flate so cheap????
l admit at first l was so happy, because l am poor and living at the moment in a very bad area and in a very bad room, but then l tough, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?!?!?!

she is just plaing with us, l hate such people, by the way IF HER HUSBAND WOULD BE BRITISH, WHT THE HELL IS HER NAME GREEK, WHY NOT BRITISH???

ok, maybe after he died, she changed it??? its possible, but l dont blieve in this quark!

[GermanTurk]

[Bluey]

Here is the Gumtree advice on how to stay safe when looking for accommodation which includes some of the following tips

o View properties in person. Gumtree is a local community site and we encourage face-to-face, local, trading. Tenants willing to rent a property without seeing it/ Landlords not interested in seeing or at least speaking with the prospective tenant first are unlikely to be legitimate, even if they give the reason that they are abroad. For personal ease and safety, always ensure you take someone with you, or if you are inviting someone into your home ask to see personal identification first.

o Never send or wire money to landlords. This includes never mailing a cheque or using payment services like Bidpay, Western Union or Money Gram to pay for items found on Gumtree. It is our belief that these forms of funds transfer are favoured by fraudsters.

http://forums.gumtree.com/viewtopic.php?t=60523

[roboticpink]

hello, she is still trying it! we were suckered by the cheap rent but i thought it sounded like a bit of a scam... so i checked here and LO AND BEHOLD!!

anyway here are the emails we have sent her:

Email 1
Hello,
My name is Annita RonsonI am from Greece, Athens. I
have the apartment for rent, the rent is 350£ per
month this includes all bils. My husband was British
and he wanted the apartment in London. Last year we
had an accident and my husband lost his life. I also
lost my hearing in the car accident that we had. Now I
live in Athens, Greece. I have received another offers
today about 50 proposals and I want you to know that I
only let the apartment if you pay in advance the rent
for three months. The apartment on Harrowby Street it
is very close to Marble Arch and Edgware Road tube.
Thank you

Response
Dear Annita,

I am sorry to hear of your loss. I hope you have recovered well from the accident.

We are two responsible, professional girls looking for somewhere to live in London and would be very interested in coming to see the flat in person to make absolutely sure it is what we want. I have the money in my account for three months rent already, so that is not a problem and I would be happy to move in asap. The other girl needs a month's notice but I could cover the whole rent of £350 a month for three months up front.

Would it be possible for us to visit the flat on saturday?

Many thanks,

Email 2
I rent the apartment for unlimited time.
I am in Athens as I have told you.
The apartment is very beutifull the rent is 350
GBP/month (this includes all bils)
If you wish to rent it you will have to pay in advance
for 3 months.
The key to the apartment is here with me.
I will come and give you the key and we will make the
contract.
I will think of a solution for this because I don't
want to come for nothing and to loose my time or
yours.
As I have told you I have received many offers so it
is hard for me to decide.
I told you that I lost my hearing and since than I
have to go to the hospital every week and I will have
little time to spend in UK because of that.

Thank you

Please email me to keep me informed about your free
time.


Response 2
Annita,

Thanks for your reply.

I have spoken with the other girl, Amanda, and we are both very interested in the flat. Is there anybody in the UK you know you would trust with the key to show us around? This seems like a reasonable solution. Then if we are interested we could sign the contract in front of them, and you would not have to leave Athens.

Does this sound like a good solution?

Many thanks,

Email 3
I have received many other offers so I don't know what
to choose.
I don't want to make a trip for nothing and not to
find you there and loose time.
I also don't want to loose your time either.
Three weeks ago I have received also many offers to
rent it,
one person told me to come to show him the apartment
and to make the rent papers.
I have took a plane and I arived in London the next
day.
I showed the apartment to that person and he was
impresed but he told me that he has the money for one
month in advance and that I have to wait another two
months to pay me the rest.
I lost my time this way and money on flights.
I also go here in Athens at the hospital twice a week
so I can't stay for a long time in UK.
Here is what I propose:
Make the transfer using western union on a Friend Name
or to a Family Member of yours for the 3 months rent
and reply with the western union scaned receipt jpg
format.
This way I will be sure that you have the money to pay
me in advance and also that will not loose my time and
that I will not make the trip for nothing.
I will support the transfer fees from my pocket when
we will meet or you can deduct them from the rent.
I will expect the scaned receipt and we will arange a
meeting a soon after that.
We will go and see the apartment and after that we
will go to pick up the money from the western union.
(this means that the friend or relative must be with
you at that time)

Response 4 - Words "Western Union" make my brain IMMEDIATELY say WHAT A HUGE SCAM!!
Dear Annita,

I am wary of Western Union as I have had trouble "losing" money with them before. Would it be better to let you have a copy of my bank statement (with my account number removed of course!!) I can prove that I have enough money in my savings account at the moment. I must stress there is no problem with paying the rent. I have several references from estate agents and previous landlords and I can also provide a guarantor - my parents - this is an agreement that if I do not pay the rent, they are legally obliged to pay it for me. This is often common practice in the UK.

As I mentioned before I would really like to see the flat in person before deciding if I wanted to move in. Last september I moved into a flat without seeing it first as I had to move city urgently, and despite the landlord's assurances that the flat was newly renovated it was disgusting! I was very unhappy there and had to move out immediately - and the landlord took a lot of my money to cover his "expenses". They say here "once bitten, twice shy" and I am certainly shy when it comes to renting flats now. Is there anybody in the UK you trust and could post the key to, in order to allow us access to the flat to have a proper viewing?

We are certainly very keen to move into the area and I would have to discuss it with the other girl but I am quite sure that if you could let us see the flat before we decide, we would be able to pay you more rent if we decided to move in.

Many thanks,


Email 5
I didn't asked to send money to me.
Make the transfer using western union on a friend name
or a person from your family and reply with the
western union scaned receip jpg format.

Response 5 - getting very curious now
Hi Annita,

Like I said I really am not happy with transferring money to anyone using western union.
I have attached a jpg of my online banking statement (ed - i smudged out all the account numbers etc, don't worry) showing how much money is in my accounts, proving that I have much more than enough to cover the rent.

Again I ask is there anyone you know here who you would be happy to show us around the flat?

Email 6 - somewhat surprised she is still bothering now
I don't have no one that can show you the apartment .
I am the only one who can.
If you can't proceed the way I have told you I will
understand and I will accept other offers.
Thank you

--------------

So I sent her an email saying if she shows us the flat and it's like it is in the pictures we'll pay her immediately. SURPRISINGLY, she hasn't replied to that one...

If this helps even one person, I will be happy.

Has anyone actually been caught out by this woman and lost money?

Jessx

[stripeycat]

Do you folks have anywhere on the site that's specifically for info on all of these idiots trying to rip people off? You've got dozens of postings just in the Electronics/Mobile sections from morons telling people they're selling the latest handset for anything from £90 to £130. It amazes me that these scumbags have the nuts to keep trying this.

[the_tidy_kiwi]

Check out our new 'stay safe' section.
http://www.gumtree.com/help/stay_safe

That has tips for looking out for scammers and advice on how to report them to us.

[hak4dcs]

2 BR Flat - Harrowby Street

Hello,
My name is Cleopatra Parker and I am from Greece,
Athens. I have the apartment for rent, the rent is
350£ per month this includes all bils. My husband was
British and he wanted the apartment in London. Last
year we had an accident and my husband lost his life.
I also lost my hearing in the car accident that we
had. Now I live in Athens, Greece. I have received
another offers today about 50 proposals and I want you
to know that I only let the apartment if you pay in
advance the rent for three months. The apartment on
Harrowby Street it is very close to Marble Arch and
Edgware Road tube.
Thank you



i got suspicious and search for the add in google for 2 BR Flat - Harrowby Street. well thanks for posting and telling us about such scammers.


i sent the following reply

thanks for the offer but i had found another flat on the same street for £250.
i hope your husband gets peace in hell and you visit him shortly.take care

[vision.3456]

I am trying to find a flatshare in London, and I have come across lots of these scams on several websites. They all seem to pull the same bs story and I am getting really sick of it. The stories go something like this:

1. The person is really busy or far away, so meeting you at the flat is a really really big commitment for them.

2. And then the sob story: In the past, several people have not showed up as agreed, or showed up with no money. Due to this dreadful experience (!) they now either want money upfront before you even get to see the flat, or proof that you have money before you get to view the flat. This will always be through Western Union. Usually this will have been advised by someone important such as a lawyer.

3. If they ask you prove you have sufficient money, they will ask you to send the required deposit to one of your own friends through Western Union, and then to send a scanned image of the transfer details. They will tell you that this is to protect you. Obviously what they are after are the transfer details, they can forge the rest.

4. They also often want your contact details.

Stay away from these, they are scams. You will lose your transfered money, even if it is sent to a friend of yours. Don't rent anything you have not viewed.

S. Holmes

[Lola V12]

[lukel]

I've gathered few more examples here for future generations of victims:

http://forums.gumtree.com/viewtopic.php?p=1834369