As previously described, the victims for this scam are often found on Craigslist via the Apartments/Homes For rent section.
The scammer simply places an ad for a property for lease that sounds to good to be true. It will often say you can live in this beautiful home for free if you simply assist the owner with a slight problem.
The "owner" will then explain that they need your assistance collecting money owed to them by customers of their business. Since they travel a lot, or live overseas now, they are unable to collect the money in a timely manner.
If you will simply take the checks/money orders from the mail and place them in your account, then wire the money to them, you can live in the home for free. They will of course need to do a test run on you to see how honest you are by having checks first sent to your home for depost and wire transfer to them.
The emails below will demonstrate the whole process.
you had sent me an email back in march while I was looking around on craigslist.com about a place you have that you need someone to stay and take care of. Is it still available? I attached my pictures.
Missy, Thanks for the email. Nice hearing from you. Just to let you know that the House is still available. I appreciate that you are willing to do this. Iwill provide you with all other information you would need. As for the houseyou'll be moving into, you will have to send me your recent contactaddress so i would send you the keys to the apartment. So this simply means thatyou would be moving in until you've gotten the keys and the necessarypapers of the apartment.
As to the process of cashing the payments, Youwould be receiving the payments on my behalf. which means the payment would bemade payable to you (you'll have to provide you full name as it would appearon the check. Once you receive that, you would go ahead and cash it.
youwould then deduct 10% of any amount you receive as your wn payment, and sendthe balance to my associate via western union. I hope you fully understandthis now. Again you can stay in the apartment for as long as you want to. You wont have to pay any rent or any bills.
I would take care of that myself. Sopls provide all the details required (full name and contact address) so thenecessary papers and keys to the apartment can be sent. I will alsonotify you when you woud be receiving the first payment which will serve as atest for you. Have a lovely day.
Prissy. Am so sorry for not getting back to you ontime. Have been terribly busy forsometime now. Just a quick note let you know that one of my clients will do make a payment to you this week.
I will want you to do get back to me once you do receive it so that other necessary arrangement can be concluded on time and i wil do also like to know when you will be ready to move into the apartment. Get back to me with anupdate. Thanks so much
I didn't know what had happened to you and I've already given notice to my landlord I would be moving out. I'll take care of the check as soon as it arrives, but what about the keys to the house? Where is the house? You haven't even given me a chance to go look at it. It's seems unfair to be "putting me to work" prior to your keeping your end of the deal.
Your ad said you would overnight the keys to the person that was interested in the deal. You have not done so.So please don't expect me to process too many checks for your prior to receiving the keys. Fair is fair.
Missy, How are you doing?Just a quick update to let you know that one of my clients has sent a payment of $3000 to you via ups with the tracking number-1Z476R1F0198984383.
I will want you to get back to me with an acknowledgement once you do receive it so that other necessary arrangement can be concluded ontime.
The keys of the house will also be sent out to you on monday with other necessary documents. I await to hear from you soonest. Thanks so much
Well Frank that’s wonderful and all, but dear lord I've waited for more than two weeks to hear from you regarding this home you have and keys your supposedly sending.
What kind of person does business in this manner? It's been about a month since you first claimed you were sending me keys! Now, still with no keys, I'm expected to process your checks? I think I'll require more than 10% for this service since you obviously have no home in Washington. How many checks will be arriving?
Michelle, Am so sorry for not getting in touch with you all this while. Once you cash the payment,i will like you to do follow the detailed instructions below in getting the remaining funds remitted to the benneficiary information below in Ukraine once you have the Cash. You are entitled to 15% of the total amount on the check for your effort.
You are to wire the remaining funds less western union money transfer fee to the beneficiary below via western union money transfer in any western union outlet closer to you. Here are the details of our beneficiary to whom the funds will be wired across to via western union money transfer in any of their outlets closer to you.
Name: ABOLANLE N.YORUBA Address: 60 LET LUGANSK,UKRAINE 91045
For your conveniency the transfer can be done in any of these western union outlets below:
(ABOUT 5 WESTERN UNION OUTLETS WERE LISTED)
I'm aware of western union transfer fee in getting the funds across, do deduct it from the balance left with you. Once the transfer has been done, you are to get back to me with the details of the transfer in the format below:
-Sender's Name and Address -Money transfer Control Number {10 digits} -Total Amount Sent after deduction of western union charges -Test Question and Answer
I appreciate your trust and transparency and i look forward reading from you.
Okay, that’s fine and all. You said the keys would be here Monday, right? Also, I thought you said the money I was collecting was for you, and you lived in Switzerland? Surely you’re not a jeweler in the freaking Ukraine! Those people are dirt poor and dumb as a rock. Can't imagine selling to many rings and bracelets there, unless you make'em out rocks!
Anyway Frank, I've attached a few picture of myself so you'll know me when we meet. I'm assuming that since I'll be living in your house your going to stop in and visit sometimes. Also, my girlfriend Heather wanted to know if she can stay there with me. Her pics are attached also. How about a picture of you my little Berry?
Hello, I did receive your pics. They are nice. Am really looking forward to meeting you personally. I will like to know the update as regard the payment with you. Do get back to me soonest. Thanks
Michelle, I will like you to do follow the detailed instructions below in getting the remaining funds remitted to the benneficiary information below in Ukraine once you have the Cash.
You are entitled to 15% of the total amount on the check for your effort. You are to wire the remaining funds less western union money transfer fee to the beneficiary below via western union money transfer in any western union outlet closer to you.
Here are the details of our beneficiary to whom the funds will be wired across to via western union money transfer in any of their outlets closer to you.
Name: ABOLANLE N.YORUBA Address: 60 LET LUGANSK, UKRAINE 91045
What is needed is your trust. This payment is actually serving as a trial test for you. Once the transaction is completed we can discuss about your moving into the house.
Frank, we have a business arrangement, hence, an agreement. I have no time for silly games. I've trusted you; I've trusted that you were a man of your word. You said on several occasions the key would be here Monday along with the required papers. Monday came, and Monday went, and no keys arrived.
Now I've asked for an address for this home you have claimed to own, yet you can provide no address, and certainly no keys. Then, you have the nerve to speak of trust, and that I am being "tested". This isn't some type of school game Frank, this is business.
You requested that I provide you a service as part of an exchange agreement to live in your home, rent free. Yet, it's been close to one month since you made this agreement with me and you have yet to provide one bit of information regarding this home, its location, or the keys to enter it.
What you have managed to do is have your business associate send me what you've described as a check, and it's not a check. It's as good as cash, but not a cashier’s check. It came with no invoice, no bill, and no receipts.
You said you live in Switzerland, and you are a jeweler. You said you needed me to collect legitimate debt for your company and forward the money to YOU. Now it appears there is no home, no free rent. Now you want me to wire money to Russia. How am I to know that you’re not merely using me to send money to terrorist?
You will need to send me some documentation as to who you are, and something that proves the existence of your business. I'm not going to act as the unwitting middleperson to transfer money from America to Al Quida. Send proof of these things and I'll wire all the money you want.
That’s your trust test Frank.
Missy
Frank Berry vanished at this point and never wrote back. As you can see, Frank summed it up well when he said "What is needed is your trust". Indeed, these scams are wholly dependent upon your trusting nature and you desire to be trusted.
