I think I know this is scam but advice please

hallabaloo

[FONT=arial,helvetica]Hello,

In order for me to come to London and show you the flat and maybe sign the contract, I want to know that you have money available for 2 months (1180 GBP) because as I've told you in my previous email, I have a busy schedule and it's very hard for me to come in UK. I can't take the risk to leave my new job for couple of days and when I arrive in UK to find out that I came for nothing. I want to be 100% sure that when we'll meet, it might be a chance that we'll do the rent papers and return to Germany.
So here is what I want you to do: You'll have to arrange the payment from your best friend's name and address to your name and address in UK, using WesterUnion Service, for 2 months rent,that means 1,180 GBP and send me the scanned receipt. As soon as I see the scanned receipt as a proof that you've made the payment, I will fly to UK and you will see the flat and maybe rent it if you like. After that, we will go together at the WesterUnion office and you will take the money back and pay me.
All you have to do is to find a WesterUnion office, take a friend of yours, wire 1,180 GBP from your friend's name to your name and send me the scanned receipt. I am asking you this to be sure that I do not come in UK for nothing. Hope you can understand my situation.

P.S : I have plenty customers interested to rent the apartment. I will reserve the apartment to the first one that provides me the scanned paper from WesternUnion. As soon as I have the confirmation from WesterUnion that the money are available on your name, I'll cancel the transaction with the others.
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~Beanie~

Don't do it, as soon as they get the scanned receipt they will nip into the nearest Western Union office, collect the money and you will never see them or your money again!

danielanthony

Utter scam. Ignore

prudryden

LOL - That letter has been doing its rounds for awhile.

DawnW

This is a scam, and there have been other posts on here relating to prospective landlords demanding payments upfront via Western Union. Please walk away and don't give these criminals your money! You should not pay a LL or LA anything until there is a formal agreement, except perhaps for stuff like credit check charges, which are usually done through a LA or a LL's organisation like NLA.

Please take care.

hallabaloo

Yeah, I kinda knew, I just wanted confirmation. Thankyou people xxx

botchjob

I find it hard to believe that people even have to ask if this sort of thing is a scam. Like, dur.

hallabaloo

I'm optimistic. That doesn't make me a dur

hallabaloo

Anyway, anyone know of any cheap flats going in London? :-D

tbs624

Thanks for posting it up Hallabaloo. It's good for others to see the type of scams that are pretty commonplace.

If someone resides outside the UK they have to have someone who acts as an agent for them over here.

Ignore these conmen.

hallabaloo

Thanks tbs, I've been looking for a few months now and this bloke's ads are clogging up Gumtree. Is it worth dobbing him in to the police? Do they actually bother pursuing these people?