Monday, June 11, 2012

Another Craigs List Room Scam

So after kicking out my alcoholic, manipulative, lying roommate, I rewrote my Craigs List ad and reposted it on Craig's List.

http://bend.craigslist.org/roo/3061353933.html

Please note that the room is in a mobile home park/manufactured home park that sells/rents to only those people who are 40 years old or older. This age requirement is mentioned at least twice in the ad itself.

First email:
michelle3fa@gmail.com via craigslist.org
4:13 AM (11 hours ago)

to qjkwp-30613539.
** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

Hello there,
How you doing today? I am writing to know if the space you advertise on craigslist is still available. I will also need current picture of the place, i wait to read from you as soon as possible.

CARLISA.

My response:

There are current pictures of the house in the ad itself. It is NOT available until June 21st 2012 (ad stated that too). Are you a non-smoker? Are you over 40? If not, I'm sorry but I can't rent to you.


"Thanks for your prompt response,i just got your message right now and am very happy to know that the place is still available, I will not be able to come and see it due to the distance. Here is little about me.... My name is Yen Carlisa 25years, female, from Zurich, Switzerland. I presently live and work in Geneva as Medical doctor with UNAIDS (www.unaids.org) I will be coming to State for medical research due to nature of our work. This was why i made inquiry as per the availability of your space. Please let me know the equipment that are available in the rent..

For the payment that is not a problem at all, because my boss will be highly responsible for all my expenses, all i have to do is to confirm the amount of the room which i have done including the utilities (if there is any) and then get it sent to him so that payment can be mail out for my deposit. However i will be in need of the information in which the payment will be issued to,So all i require of you is for you to send me your...

FULL NAME
FULL ADDRESS (City,State and Zip code)
PHONE NUMBER
EMAIL ADDRESS

So that I can forward it to my boss because my boss will be paying for the rent, my flight and some other things so all you have to do is that as soon as you receive the check he will send.You will deduct your rent fee and the utilities from it and then get the rest back to my flight manager so that my ticket can be booked. Waiting to hearing from you. I will want all this information for quick payment asap please.

Regards."

Okay, let me spell out the ways this stinks.

If you are legitimately looking for a room to rent, you don't need to falsify or cloak your email address. The first email was from michelle3fa@gmail.com but the reply went to email address carlisa1981yen@gmail.com. The reply was also from carlisa1981yen@gmail.com.

If you read the ad, there are 4 current pictures included in the ad itself. Why would she need more pictures?

In my first reply I specifically asked her if she was over 40 or not, and made it clear that I could not rent to her if she wasn't 40 years old or older. See bolded age above.

She clearly states that she's only 25, and a doctor to boot. My butt she's a doctor. Maybe she plays a doctor on television, or maybe she once 'played doctor' with the boy next door, but in my opinion only Doogie Howser MD is 25 years old and working as a medical doctor. And that was only on TV, it's very rare for someone age 25 to be a full-fledged MD in real life.

It takes 8-10 years to become a fully fledged medical doctor, this liar would have had to graduated from high school before she was 15 years old to be a MD at 25 years of age.

If you read the ad itself (and aren't just trying to scam me) it says very clearly what is included in the rent. All the 'equipment' is listed in the ad.

If she's going to be doing medical research like she states, why not give me the name of her new employer at St Charles Medical Center (the only hospital in this area)?

If this liar was actually working at unaids.org, and her boss was really involved in this, don't you think she would have a unaids.org email address?. Both of the email addresses were gmail, which any idiot can sign up for. I have around 10 gmail addresses of my own.

She never did address the non-smoking question. I am on nocturnal oxygen and therefore CANNOT allow smoking in my house even if I could stand the smell of smoke (truthfully, it makes me want to PUKE!). Besides, after 10 months of living with a smoker, I am fully aware of how even forcing them to smoke outside is not good enough. My former roommate's body, hair, clothes, and room smelled of smoke even though he never smoked in the house (or at least I never CAUGHT him smoking in the house!). He's been gone for a week and his bedroom still has a stench of smoke.

Where are the numerous references I asked for in my ad? If this person was legitimate, I should have 3-5 references. And if she's really a hot shot medical doctor at UNAIDS in Geneva Switzerland at least one of those references should be from the executive director Michel Sidibe http://www.unaids.org/en/

If I agreed to her plan, I am sure I would find myself with a check that either wasn't cashable OR once it was cashed it would turn out to be a bogus check. My bank would hold ME responsible for that check and any overdraft or other fees relative to it

9 comments:

MissMandie said...

I am in the midst of kicking out my roommate, posted my ad on craigslist and got this EXACT same series of e-mails from this exact same "carlisayen" address. The only difference was, it was cloaked under "barbara53f@gmail.com".....This is what I sent her in reply when she asked for my personal info:

-------------------------------
4:09 PM (5 hours ago)

to YEN:

Certainly. First, I will need you to send me:
Your full name
Your full address
Your phone number and e-mail address
and a copy of your photo ID.

And if your boss will be the one making the payments, I will also need:
His name
The company name
Company address
Company phone number
And a copy of the business license.

Just need to keep myself safe from craigslist scam artists. There are a lot out there you know ;o)
-----------------------------------

Needless to say, I haven't heard back from "Carlisa".

Such a shame we have to weed through things like this.

MissMandie said...

I am in the midst of kicking out my roommate, posted my ad on craigslist and got this EXACT same series of e-mails from this exact same "carlisayen" address. The only difference was, it was cloaked under "barbara53f@gmail.com".....This is what I sent her in reply when she asked for my personal info:

-------------------------------
4:09 PM (5 hours ago)

to YEN:

Certainly. First, I will need you to send me:
Your full name
Your full address
Your phone number and e-mail address
and a copy of your photo ID.

And if your boss will be the one making the payments, I will also need:
His name
The company name
Company address
Company phone number
And a copy of the business license.

Just need to keep myself safe from craigslist scam artists. There are a lot out there you know ;o)
-----------------------------------

Needless to say, I haven't heard back from "Carlisa".

Such a shame we have to weed through things like this.

Mandie L said...

I am in the midst of kicking out my roommate, posted my ad on craigslist and got this EXACT same series of e-mails from this exact same "carlisayen" address. The only difference was, it was cloaked under "barbara53f@gmail.com".....This is what I sent her in reply when she asked for my personal info:

-------------------------------
4:09 PM (5 hours ago)

to YEN:

Certainly. First, I will need you to send me:
Your full name
Your full address
Your phone number and e-mail address
and a copy of your photo ID.

And if your boss will be the one making the payments, I will also need:
His name
The company name
Company address
Company phone number
And a copy of the business license.

Just need to keep myself safe from craigslist scam artists. There are a lot out there you know ;o)
-----------------------------------

Needless to say, I haven't heard back from "Carlisa".

Such a shame we have to weed through things like this.

MissMandie said...

I am in the midst of kicking out my roommate, posted my ad on craigslist and got this EXACT same series of e-mails from this exact same "carlisayen" address. The only difference was, it was cloaked under "barbara53f@gmail.com".....This is what I sent her in reply when she asked for my personal info:

-------------------------------
4:09 PM (5 hours ago)

to YEN:

Certainly. First, I will need you to send me:
Your full name
Your full address
Your phone number and e-mail address
and a copy of your photo ID.

And if your boss will be the one making the payments, I will also need:
His name
The company name
Company address
Company phone number
And a copy of the business license.

Just need to keep myself safe from craigslist scam artists. There are a lot out there you know ;o)
-----------------------------------

Needless to say, I haven't heard back from "Carlisa".

Such a shame we have to weed through things like this.

MissMandie said...

I am in the midst of kicking out my roommate, posted my ad on craigslist and got this EXACT same series of e-mails from this exact same "carlisayen" address. The only difference was, it was cloaked under "barbara53f@gmail.com".....This is what I sent her in reply when she asked for my personal info:

-------------------------------
4:09 PM (5 hours ago)

to YEN:

Certainly. First, I will need you to send me:
Your full name
Your full address
Your phone number and e-mail address
and a copy of your photo ID.

And if your boss will be the one making the payments, I will also need:
His name
The company name
Company address
Company phone number
And a copy of the business license.

Just need to keep myself safe from craigslist scam artists. There are a lot out there you know ;o)
-----------------------------------

Needless to say, I haven't heard back from "Carlisa".

Such a shame we have to weed through things like this.

MissMandie said...

I am in the midst of kicking out my roommate, posted my ad on craigslist and got this EXACT same series of e-mails from this exact same "carlisayen" address. The only difference was, it was cloaked under "barbara53f@gmail.com".....This is what I sent her in reply when she asked for my personal info:

-------------------------------
4:09 PM (5 hours ago)

to YEN:

Certainly. First, I will need you to send me:
Your full name
Your full address
Your phone number and e-mail address
and a copy of your photo ID.

And if your boss will be the one making the payments, I will also need:
His name
The company name
Company address
Company phone number
And a copy of the business license.

Just need to keep myself safe from craigslist scam artists. There are a lot out there you know ;o)
-----------------------------------

Needless to say, I haven't heard back from "Carlisa".

Such a shame we have to weed through things like this.

Suellen Roley said...

MissMandie, thank you for a great response for the next time (plus a good laugh too)

I absolutely LOVE what you replied to her. So perfect!

I only wish I'd thought of that myself.

Anonymous said...

I really wish I had seen your post before him or her scammed me! :(

Do you have any advice on what to do after being scammed really bad?

Anonymous said...

I received these emails in response to an ad on Craigslist as well. Thank you for confirming what I suspected of them. This was my response:
"Hi- It is very clear that this is a scam and is well documented around the internet. If you contact me again, I will notify the authorities. I am sorry you lead such a sinister existence. You really ought to do more positive things with the gift of life you were provided."