This e-mail comes to us from across the pond. UK reader Roger posted an ad on Gumtree renting a room. he got a response from a fake scammer name we’ve seen before.
I’ve just advertised a room for rent on gumtree, and I got an e-mail from a Steven Randy. Here is that e-mail in full…….
“Hello,
My name is Mr.Steven Randy, I am highly interested in making payment for the room you advertised for rent, I want to make the payment on behalf of my Daughter who intends to be at your location to further her education, I am currently in Paris France my family. So I would like to
know how much you will be charging per month with deposit.I would like to know the nearest bus/stops to the universities around the house and few information about the house, Please do get back with your FINAL ASKING PRICE per month and deposite so i can make arrangements for payment asap and also give you more details about my daughter and my family.
Best regards,
Mr.Steven Randy ”
I was a bit suspicious from the off. The advert clearly states all of the facilities available within the house, and that it has very easy access to all bus stops, etc. Also, at the date of reciept the education calender had already been long underway, of course it is normal for students to change college/uni mid term, it just rang false. Luckily I had the good foresight
to create a generic e-mail address for advertising the room, and not have my name plastered on it. Just very generic and fairly untraceable……
……So I replied with:
“Hi Steven,
The average monthly rental, including bills for the room works out around £330 per month. Deposit is £350 (I’m not sure what that is in Euro’s!). Also, because the house is now being rented through an agency, there is a £150 reference fee, which is paid directly to ******** properties, who will then have to reference yourself, and/or your daughter.
The location of the house is close to the city centre, and is within a 2 minute walk to the bus stop (It literally is just less than 50 metres from the house), which services City Centre (which is a 10 minute walk from the front door anyway) - there is also a bus which runs direct to the
universities from the stop as well.
I will be honest though Steven, we would like to meet the person we would be living with before commiting, obviously as we have to live with that person, and that person has to live with us!
Let me know what you think and I look forward to hearing from you.
Roger”
Pretty safe reply, very vague on the location, didn’t give my full name away and Ive planted the bits about referencing and meeting the person first. The e-mail I got back pretty much confirmed my suspicions……
“Hello,
Thanks for your reply, your price is ok by me and every other thing it’s ok with me,i will like you to know that i will be paying you an advance payment first for the month and deposit. I will have my client issue out payment to you on my behalf since i am not in state now to do that myself ok but be rest assured that everything will handled very fine. So he will be sending you Cheque or money orders pending on the one you prefer that your bank will cash for you quick without Any delays.I would also like to inform you that is likely my client sends you an over payment and this will be due to the fact that my daughter will be needing part of the over-payment to come down to your home.Please once the payment is received, you will have
to take it to your bank and have it deposited into your account for immediate clearance and get back to me with the excess funds which will be Sent to my Daughter Through her traveling Agent via western union money transfer same day payment is received, so he can make traveling
arrangements for my daughter to come down to your end ok.You will have to deduct your money for the rent and deposit which is(£830,being payment for a month rent and deposit.) and the excess funds goes to her for her necessary up keeping before coming over for her studies. She will be coming down to your end as soon as payment is duly paid and the traveling agents receives her money to enable her obtain her tickets and some other things that will be needed for her journey. kindly forward the necessary formation for the payment to be sent to you immediately find below the information you need to send me to enable you get payment:
FULL NAME………………
ADDRESS………………..
ZIP CODE………………
STATE…….
CELL PHONE NUMBER…………….
ABOUT MY DAUGHTER & FAMILY
my daughter’s name is Mimi reno Randy,she is 19 years, 5′7″ tall, straight,female and single.she dose not drink or smoke,her hobbies are reading,swimming for fun and sometimes play tennis.
My Full name:Mr.StevenRandy, and my wife’s name:Farla Jean Randy. We have been happily married
for over 40 years now and we are richly blesses with two kids , Mimi and her brother Paul, who is 25 years already married . We are very happy families and my kids are very nice and respectful and responsible. We live in Paris France , I am a chattered Accountant while my wife is a Nurse.
Get back now. I will have her sign for every necessary agreements when she arrives ok.
Best Regards,
Mr.Steven Randy”
Needless to say, I never did reply. Lots of bullsh*t trying to provoke me
to send him my full name and address………….
Good job Roger on picking out an obvious scam and also for using a generic e-mail address.
The two things that jump right out at me is that Mr. Steven Randy even mentioned he would be making an overpayment and asking Roger to wired the excess. That’s exactly like the tutor scam among other fake check scams. Secondly I like how he asks Roger for his State and ZIP Code. ZIP codes are exclusive to the U.S. No to mention the bad English and to an Englishman that’s really bad English.
Do you have a car ?
