I am a real estate agent and listed my own rental house for lease at $3200 in the MLS. All of a sudden this guy stole my photos and my ad and posted an ad on Craigslist at the rental rate of $1100 monthly. I was bombarded by people wanting to rent it of course. I also got the same form email reply when I set up a sting. It has happened to me before so I was onto them already, however, what I notice each time is that they say their name is the name of my previous tenant which there is no way in the world they would know this information unless they were reading my emails at some point. That is pretty scarey. The last one actually used the name of my tenant's son who lived in another state. That one really baffled me. I report them to the FBI as they are a real nuisance.
This guy is def a scam artist.. see the below app he sent me. I almost feel like sending it back with some choice words but I shall rise above :-) Towards the end, Im not sure if it's even in English.
Hello Applicant,
We are pleased that you have an interest in our house, our lovely home is still available for lease and we want responsible adults/family that are neat and also believe that you have what it takes to take care of our house as if it were Yours. The main reason our house is up for lease is because I got transferred from my place of work here in West Africa on a Missionary Work, to serve God and humanity. I work with First General Baptist Church here in West Africa. I initially had it up for sale but later had a change of mind after we thought it unwise to sell out this property in a perfect neighborhood as this one. Due to my urgent transfer we could not remove the for sale sign, and leaving the house empty is not a good idea for us so we allowed our Church members stay pending our return from West Africa.. after all we did for them not asking for any monthly rent, they turn me and my family down and did not keep to their promise. I and my family don't think we will be coming back to occupy my house. We will be very pleased if we can find the right potential tenant to rent our home, a person who is a clean & responsible and does not tolerate anything that has to do with dirt. we also would like to know more about you and your family, your renting experience and how long and when you plan moving into our home. The rent includes all utilities and close to all amenities. INCLUDED IN THE RENT: Cable , Kitchen completely equipped, Kettle - Toaster - Dishwasher - Freezer - Microwave - Oven - Dryer - Heat - Water - Washing Machine and Electric.
RENTAL APPLICATION FORM
Name (First name/ Middle name/Surname ) : __________?
Phone numbers (home,cell and office line) # :__________?
Present Address :__________?
Marital Status:__________? Date's of Birth : ___________?
Will you have pets :__________?
Preferred move in date and how long do you intend to stay in the house :__________?
Do you agree to pay the payment before you move in:__________?
How much do you have at hand right now if you are asked to secure the property today:__________?
Length of previous tenancy :__________?
Present occupation :__________? How long :_______________? Employer's address :____________?
Do you smoke or drink :__________?
Attach a photo of you :____________?
Email : _____________?
References : ___________?
How much do you have at hand now out the deposit to get the keys : ______________?
Can we trust you and our house safe keeping in your hand : _____________?
This is an easy way for me to screen applicants based on previous rental history and employment information. If you have a felony or bad tenant history, I'm flexible and I'll work with you.
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
House Address : (22 Macaulay Pl, Augusta, GA 30907)
Number of Bedrooms: 3
Number of Bathrooms: 3
Rent: $750
Refundable security Deposit: $750
Please feel free to ask any questions you do not understand and i will be looking forward to receive your email as soon as possible. As i am not around to show the inside, you can go check out the house and the neighborhood from the outside and get back to me if you really like it for more information. . Please respond ASAP. I hope to read from you with more information. Thanks for the time and energy writing me, My regards to your family....You can reach me at (315) 308-4076