Roommate scam?

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 2

I have a posting on CL for a roommate, and have gotten a few of these. They always start with 'is the room still available' and reply to my reply from a different email. It's ALWAYS a 21-30 year old female moving in from overseas. What's the scam?

Quote:

Hi,

Nice to hear back from you , I'm a female .I will not be able
to come and see the place now but picture will be okay the most
important thing to me is your location it really works for me, I could
have love to call you but i don't have international calling plan but
i will try to get an international calling card to call you later in
the week but i believe we can still exchange emails for the main time
or you call me on my Land line number which is +447045712915 and make
sure you dial as presented.I'm sure i am the type of roommate you will
like to stay with ,I will like to tell you lil about my self ,You can
call me ÁNGELITA M. IDOYA and i'm single 27yrs old ,I was born in
Spain,I don't smoke i don't drink.i'm easy going person and i make
people around smile .I want to move in to the room in the next two
weeks that is why i'm trying to speed everything up.I'm already doing
my final project i have just been transfer from work to your location
and i will be much more than happy if you can rent out the room to me
,Please let me know little about you ,

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:50 pm

Hi Boogers!
Welcome to Eater!
From: http://www.rentingoutrooms.com/avoiding-a-common-roommates-scams-on-craigslist

How the Scam Works

The scammers or purported roommates make initial contact with you, stating that they are interested in renting your room, but cannot visit because they are overseas or have a tight time constraint and can’t make the time.

The scammer insists they are easy going and would like to move. They would have a very legitimate-sounding story. They might be a medical school or college student, or perhaps starting a new computer or modeling job, and they might even be arriving with their parents. Somewhere in the exchange of e-mails, they ask you for the total amount to secure the room for them to move in.

This is where I stopped the e-mail conversation, as it was getting too sketchy and just didn’t feel right. I didn’t want anyone to move in without first meeting them in person. That’s my #1 rule; enough said.

Based on my research, if you did reply to the scammer’s e-mail with the total amount, the scammer would send you a check, or very often some kind of international money order, for more than the total amount needed to secure your room. They might say it is a money order for their scholarship or an employer’s paycheck. Some of the scammers would just contact you, stating that they made a mistake and overpaid you. In any case, they would always request that you send difference back to them in via Western Union or Moneygram.

Seems fair and legit so far, right? Where’s the scam?

The scammer sends you a check or money order that looks genuine, but it’s actually fraudulent. The bank will accept this fraudulent check, as you are depositing it into your account. They may even cash it if you have an account with them. When you send them back the amount that was “overpaid,” you’re really sending them your own money, and the bank will deduct the full amount of the fraudulent check from your account when it fails to clear. Thus, the scammer runs away with your money.

Simple Ways Not to Fall Victim to This Scam

* Always talk to the potential roommates on the phone and determine their sincere interest.
* Be wary of foreigners. Scammers usually reside outside the U.S. to avoid prosecution, so if the e-mail is from a foreigner, be careful.
* Read the e-mail carefully. If there are a lot of spelling and grammatical mistakes, it’s most likely a scammer from abroad.
* Avoid using Moneygram and Western Union to do transactions; instead meet up and exchange initial checks in hand. Better yet, never give money back until a check or money order clears your bank. For international checks, that may be several weeks.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 2

Thanks for the reply. It totally makes sense now. Thanks.

Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 4:06 am

^^^
You're welcome! Very Happy