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Probably a scam?

crazy bay

Private
Minuteman
Jan 16, 2005
71
0
37
Utah
I have been recently looking for a new place to live, and I saw this add on craiglist, e-mailed the guy, and this is what I got:

On Jul 26, 2010, at 8:44 AM, John Douglas wrote:

Thanks for taking the time to look at my property. My name is John, I'm 40 years old.I am in Camp Pendleton MC Base in
training, getting ready for Afghanistan. I am renting this condo because my brigade will deploy for 24 months to Afghanistan.
The condo has all necessary amenities (exactly like in the pics) has a very large bedroomwith spacious inbuilt wardrobe, living room with dining area, dishwasher, washing machine and clothes dryer. Windows in ALL kitchens, Windows in ALL bathrooms AND walk in closets!! Hardwood floors: Ebony or Natural Finish, Modern or Classic style kitchens and bathrooms.The condo comes with a parking space, a storage unit where you
can deposit my furniture (if you don't like it and you want use your furniture). Pets allowed. The monthly rent for the apartment is $500. I want to receive first month's advance + $500 refundable deposit ($1000 TOTAL).
I am looking for someone to rent anywhere from 1 month to 3 years. Everything is included (water, electricity, Internet,cable, parking,air conditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account. You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. Obviously we need a way to complete this deal in a safe and fast way for both of us and the solution is provided by ebay which will handle the payment and delivery of the Keys, because i already left the keys to one of their agents. Let me know if you are interested and i will inform ebay.
Please don't forget also to send some information about you and the people with who you will be living with.

Thank you,
John

Here is the link with the pics:

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/lucky_tano/ap/

My reply;
John,
Be safe on your deployment. I myself have been to both Iraq and Afghanistan. The fellow that is moving with me has been to Iraq on four separate occasions. I am grateful for your service.

That being said, I am curious about your unit. What Rank are you? I was not aware of any units in the Marine Corps that deployed for 24 months? Excuse my skepticism, but there have been a lot of fraudulent listings regarding rentals in recent months. I definitely do not trust e-bay. But thats ok, because a very close friend of mine that I grew up with just recently separated from 1st Battalion 5th Marines, out of Pendleton. He still lives in San Diego today. If you really have this property for rent, I would be happy to live there, but not on the terms of e-bay. If its not to troubling I would like to arrange a meeting with you and my friend who lives in San Diego.

Also, what is the address of the place you have listed? All you have on the listing is, "Great Location, Logan Utah" I would like to drive by today and at least see it from the outside.

If you have any questions and would like for me to arrange a meeting with you my phone number is: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Sorry if this sounds accusing, I am just being cautious.

Baylen Orr

I just sent him the reply, and when/if I hear from him I will keep you guys posted.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

guy I work with saw an ad on GL for a great deal on a Jeep, got a very similar story and sent a similar email response... big difference was that the woman supposedly selling the Jeep worked for an airline... he never got another response.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

very likely a scam. I am also in San Diego. Ask him if he lives on base or not. I will give you a hand with it if your friend can't.
Like I said it does sound like a scam. It used to be pretty common out here but it is prosecuted heavily out here now so, maybe the scammers are branching out.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

The only way for this to be shadier is if he said he was going to Nigeria and for ease of use has set up a bank account there and wishes you to most kindly sir deposit there for your good fortune on such a deal. Thank you, most very much Sir!...or something like that.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

He just replied:

"Address of the condo: 351 W 1600 N, Logan, UT, 84341.
Let me know if you are interested and i will inform ebay in order to contact you. Thanks"

No other answers to my other questions. I think this guy is a fraud. Nevertheless, I think for I'll go peep at that address for shits and giggles.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

I don't think it sounds fishy at all. Just sent him the money already. Jeez, is there no trust in the world?
 
Re: Probably a scam?

didn't know EBAY had real estate agents - sounds like a scam to me.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

There is a scam out there involving people that are in the process of being evicted on a foreclosure. The scammer pretends he is from the company managing the eviction and gets the people out of the house before the lender actually goes to that step. The scammer then advertises the property for rent, gets it rented, takes the deposit, first, and last month's rent, then takes rent payments to a PO box until the lender actually gets around to doing the eviction. The scammer may get several thousands of dollars out of the new "renter" on a property he had no right to in the first place.

Not saying this one is, but it has the trappings of it.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

sir, I am the Ebay agent in question, I am for real I assure you. So if yer intersted I will PM you the bank account info for you to wire money into. Hope you move to my house soon
 
Re: Probably a scam?

haha. This ass hat. I told him I was interested and he went ahead and sent me an application through e-bay. I think Im going to keep messing with him. I'll keep you posted.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

hey wait for 2 seconds now thats my house and its me yuo need to be sent for the money to dear sir kindly, thank you.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

The message I got from e-bay looks super legit. But once I called e-bay they said they had not received anything from this so called Mr. Douglas. Ebay does do property rentals, but they don't have one listed with this dude. When you click on the 'contact us' under their copy right policy the e-mail it brings up is for craigslist. Beware of frauds! For everyone doing business with ebay in the future, know that it is probably a fraud if you find a listing anywhere but ebay. This is the e-mail exchanges between us:

John Douglas wrote:

Yes the condo is in Maple Valley.I informed the ebay agent who is taking care of the renting that i want to rent my condo to you and he will contact you shortly. Thanks




On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 9:49 PM, xxxxxxxx <xxxxxxxx@xxxxx> wrote:
So is the Condo at Maple Valley?(NOTE: The condo is located in Oak Medows Complex, according to the address he provided) I am interested. Whatever you need for your e-bay people to contact me. Im not sure how e-bay rentals work. But I am interested to go ahead and have them contact me.

On Jul 27, 2010, at 12:25 PM, John Douglas wrote:

Address of the condo: 351 W 1600 N, Logan, UT, 84341.
Let me know if you are interested and i will inform ebay in order to contact you. Thanks

On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 6:47 PM, xxxxxxx <[email protected]> wrote:
John,
Be safe on your deployment. I myself have been to both Iraq and Afghanistan. The fellow that is moving with me has been to Iraq on four separate occasions. I am grateful for your service.

That being said, I am curious about your unit. What Rank are you? I was not aware of any units in the Marine Corps that deployed for 24 months? Excuse my skepticism, but there have been a lot of fraudulent listings regarding rentals in recent months. I definitely do not trust e-bay. But thats ok, because a very close friend of mine that I grew up with just recently separated from 1st Battalion 5th Marines, out of Pendleton. He still lives in San Diego today. If you really have this property for rent, I would be happy to live there, but not on the terms of e-bay. If its not to troubling I would like to arrange a meeting with you and my friend who lives in San Diego.

Also, what is the address of the place you have listed? All you have on the listing is, "Great Location, Logan Utah" I would like to drive by today and at least see it from the outside.

If you have any questions and would like for me to arrange a meeting with you my phone number is: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Sorry if this sounds accusing, I am just being cautious.



On Jul 26, 2010, at 8:44 AM, John Douglas wrote:

Thanks for taking the time to look at my property. My name is John, I'm 40 years old.I am in Camp Pendleton MC Base in
training, getting ready for Afghanistan. I am renting this condo because my brigade will deploy for 24 months to Afghanistan.
The condo has all necessary amenities (exactly like in the pics) has a very large bedroomwith spacious inbuilt wardrobe, living room with dining area, dishwasher, washing machine and clothes dryer. Windows in ALL kitchens, Windows in ALL bathrooms AND walk in closets!! Hardwood floors: Ebony or Natural Finish, Modern or Classic style kitchens and bathrooms.The condo comes with a parking space, a storage unit where you
can deposit my furniture (if you don't like it and you want use your furniture). Pets allowed. The monthly rent for the apartment is $500. I want to receive first month's advance + $500 refundable deposit ($1000 TOTAL).
I am looking for someone to rent anywhere from 1 month to 3 years. Everything is included (water, electricity, Internet,cable, parking,air conditioning, fireplace, dishwasher, garbage) and I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account. You can move in the condo in the same day when you receive the keys. Obviously we need a way to complete this deal in a safe and fast way for both of us and the solution is provided by ebay which will handle the payment and delivery of the Keys, because i already left the keys to one of their agents. Let me know if you are interested and i will inform ebay.
Please don't forget also to send some information about you and the people with who you will be living with.

Thank you,
John

Here is the link with the pics:

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/lucky_tano/ap/
 
Re: Probably a scam?

HAHAHA, now that one seems semi plausible. I've been looking for a new place for the last 2 weeks, have to move out this weekend, and came across an add on craigslist that sounded fantastic, 1br apartment with all major appliances (most places don't have fridges out here) and most utilities included for 700 a month. I sent an email for more info and this is what I got in reply:

Hello,

Thanks for your email .I'm John Edward, the owner of the Apartment you are in renting. Actually I resided in the apartment with my family for some months and we moved away due to my transfer from my working place, my apartment is still available for rent for $700 per month including the utilities like hydro, washer and security, it is furnished. Right now I'm in West Africa for a crusade and i would like you to get in touch with my wife in the United states for more discussion as she is with the keys and the documents to the apartment. Please I want you to note that am a kind and honest man and also I spent a lot on my property, so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this apartment and I want you to treat it as your own. I want you to keep it tidy all the time so that I will be glad to see it neat when I come for a checkup, I do that once in a while. I want to have trust in you as I always stand by my words. Let us know how soon you are willing to move in. Email my wife Mary, on ( [email protected] ) and she will attend to you better.

ADDRESS TO THE APARTMENT : 280 South Euclid Avenue Pasadena, CA 91101 USA

Thanks for your interest.
John Edward
 
Re: Probably a scam?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: force_multiplier</div><div class="ubbcode-body">guy I work with saw an ad on GL for a great deal on a Jeep, got a very similar story and sent a similar email response... big difference was that the woman supposedly selling the Jeep worked for an airline... he never got another response. </div></div>

I bet we were lookin at the same Jeep. I prolly still have the E-mail from the "seller" on my personal comp back in Kabul. Something about the jeep is here, I am here and you will need to wire money here.

Ran into the same thing lookin at vintage mustangs also, actually damn near the same e-mail that I got for the jeep
 
Re: Probably a scam?

Ummm, why not just look up the deed for the property in question? Then verify that the alleged contact information is *really* the owner, even if the "name" is correct.

Second step is to look up whether there is an *active* Notice of Default on the property. If yes, please call the local PD's bunko squad.
 
Re: Probably a scam?

mista mista, why this? why no moonie in me bank acoont yet? you move it sir yes?
 
Re: Probably a scam?

I just got an e-mail from that same guy. He said to tell you all to send the money directly to me so I can set up a credit union account for him. He's good to go, a real solid individual. The rent is of course $500 a month and we need the $1k up front. You'll have to pay before you can see the place and if it's occupied before you get there, we have others around the country for you to see. We made sure they are no where near anyone from SH, SC, or RO so no one can take a easy look. SO just send the money to me adn we will get you squared away
grin.gif
 
Re: Probably a scam?

I was recently trying to find a place around town to rent and I started out on Craigslist. I gave up after basically every person I e-mailed turned out to be a scam. That site is loaded with shit heads.