If it looks too good to be true... [Flat renting]

[TooNice]

... well, it doesn't hurt to fire an email I suppose. So I've found a place advertised that honestly seem too cheap for the location and what was shown on the picture. I emailed back asking to arrange a viewing and asking the terms and condition, got an email back, replied and now got this back.

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/8064/emailt.png (image used just so that it doesn't pop up in search engines)

I've spotted many red flags from the beginning (low price for one, the dodgy spelling doesn't help too much either). But I am really puzzled at the Western Union transfer 'suggested'. I don't know anything about Western Union, but I am under the impression that it's the preferred form of payment whenever people wants to scam others. Could anyone please explain what can essentially go wrong and why the person here is asking me to take such a long winded route (if they want proof of fund, surely, a letter from the bank or even a copy of a statement would make more sense)?

[dave87]

Your deposit will be where they make their money. You give a deposit, they run

[GaryRW]

bargepole springs to mind.

who on earth would both to fly from dubai to sort something like this out, rather than use an agent?

[DeludedGuy]

Scam! It's a very well known scam too!

[Funkstar]

The other scam is to ask for far more information than tehy actually require to set it all up.... taking your identity with them.

[TheAnimus]

If someone is willing to waste the money flying from the UAE, why wouldn't they just let an agent have their cut?

[handscombmp]

If someone is willing to waste the money flying from the UAE, why wouldn't they just let an agent have their cut?

Exactly.
I'd leave that alone.

[Rob_B]

Well since 402's are well known now they need to branch out I guess..

[Whiternoise]

I really hope the OP was being sarcastic...

And a simple one line search from google..?

http://forums.gumtree.com/topic288698.html

(SFW, but bit of textual swearage)

If you were being serious however:

What i don't get is why you have to pay rent (for two months, plus flights no doubt) to go and see it? Why can't your friend just send you a picture of it?

Ask for a photo - see what the reply is! (oh and ask for them to put a note saying "hihexus" for verification )

And Dave has it bang on, Western Union is renowned (as you say) for being a scammer haven. The reason it is used is because it is nigh on impossible to trace the end point of the money - it can only be done by subpoena and hence other country = near impossible. So, what can go wrong? Well, they take your £2000 and run for starters.

Secondly, you offer the idea of sending them a bank statement. Ho, boy. Send them a letter with something that normally has your full name, address, account number and sort code (as well as - conveniently - how much money you're spending and maybe how much is in your account)? That's just asking for trouble. Letter from the bank would be more do-able, but at the end of the day if they take your money, you'll never see it again.

And why a long winded route? Well if i walked up to you in the street and said "hey man, i've got a cool apartment in central london, you can come and see it for two months' rent but i can't show you now because i've got to fly back to somewhere" you'd say "err, no ta mate" and walk off. This is a classic romance scam, they butter you up with rubbish like "I work in a hospital" and hoardes of excuses and flowery language to make it seem like no trouble at all. Then they slip in a bit about "lots of interest so you need to hurry", etc, etc. It's a load of old tosh, the lot of it.




Just leave it, spam the email and don't get involved, it can be fun wasting these peoples' time, but at the end of the day it's not worth the trouble/risk.

[explicitlyrics]

I would agree it is very very dodgy but how do they end up with the money? You were asked to pay a friend... Surely the whole of western union cant be a scam or it would have been shut down....

[Whiternoise]

Western Union isn't a scam in itself, it's just used by scammers because it's notoriously difficult to trace where the money ends up.

As a service it's supposed to be ok at doing what it claims (money transfer), although there's a lot of controversy such as it being used by terrorists (and so now WU apparently employ racial profiling to stop funds going to anyone with vaguely middle eastern names) and that they give information to the US government.

To put it in context, it's worse than PayPal.

[explicitlyrics]

Im aware of the fact that it is commonly used in frauds and scams but in this case I cant work out how they get any money out of the person without there being something else to it... Sending money to your best mate does prove you have money but it surely doesnt give them a way of getting hold of it...

[Whiternoise]

Sorry, i was addressing the second half of your post

Presumably you make the payment to someone you know, the scammer knows you have the money and have taken the bait. They then meet you somewhere - clearly they don't actually live in Dubai - and you then pay them the money, they then bugger off and leave you with nothing.

That said, he/she does claim that you rent the flat before you pay them the money..

Either way, there IS a scam in there somewhere

[TooNice]

^ That's pretty much what I was trying to figure out on this thread. I've been on travelling a bit in the last few days so haven't had much time to look Google the reply etc. (I was in Aberdeen when I created this thread, and now in London).

Name aside, that is a cut and paste of the email I received

I am also wondering what makes Western Union any different from other money transfer services and why scammers seem to prefer it over other options.

[pauldarkside]

I am also wondering what makes Western Union any different from other money transfer services and why scammers seem to prefer it over other options.

I'm surprised they don't all use PayPal - honour among thieves and all that

[Blitzen]

10000% Scam.

Let me guess..........Gumtree was it?
That place ia crooks paradise and should be shut down.