crandc
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For reasons with which I will not bore you I am considering moving to a new home here in East Bay. I see a 3 bedroom house on craig's list in a decent area of Oakland for $700. No one rents houses in Oakland for $700. I thought typo, maybe should be $1700. So I email and a man says yes, it is $700, he has suddenly been posted overseas for minimum 6 years and does not want house to stand empty. Sent a questionnaire and then says he chose me as potential tenant.
Sounded OK at first but red flags (not in the communist sense) started coming up. He never signed an email, even with first name. I can see offering below market rent in a soft housing market to be sure of good tenant, but half market value? I said if he had fax # I'd send proof of employment, credit report, cats' spay/neuter certificates. He could have said 1) yes 2) if you decide to take the house then send or 3) you sound honest don't bother. Instead he just sends another email about house with no comment at all. He said he'd need to send keys & paperwork by courier and would I be willing to cover cost (refundable). I said sure, I'd send $100 to cover mailing and his time. He said he needs at least $250. Where is he sending from, the moon? I have confirmed shipments at work, very secure shipping since it's hazardous pharmaceuticals, and it does not cost $250. How much does a set of keys weigh? Meanwhle I looked at outside of house. I can understand someone leaving curtains at the windows and a hose on front lawn to make it look lived in. But I garden and I know a yard will look neglected after just 2 weeks without care. The lawn was mowed and flowers blooming. So I email and ask is someone caring for the place and also asked what courier service would he use to send me keys. He'd always answered emails in about 30 minutes. 3 days later no reply. Like I asked too many questions so he vanished, although all my questions were pretty standard.
I had been wondering if it was a scam, get me to send $250 to some PO Box and vanish. BTW, I've sent no money.
Then Friday I email about another house, this one $1200, low by area standards but not ridiculously low. I get a reply almost word for word identical EXCEPT this man signed full name, said he was in Lagos as a missionary, etc. - in other words, a lot of corroborating detail. Looks like the "oakland house" man copied someone's ad but removed all identifying information.
Anyway. I'm not sure if I should forward email correspondence to Oakland PD or craig's list since it sure looks like a scam, although no crime has been committed (at least not against me).
Thoughts?
Sounded OK at first but red flags (not in the communist sense) started coming up. He never signed an email, even with first name. I can see offering below market rent in a soft housing market to be sure of good tenant, but half market value? I said if he had fax # I'd send proof of employment, credit report, cats' spay/neuter certificates. He could have said 1) yes 2) if you decide to take the house then send or 3) you sound honest don't bother. Instead he just sends another email about house with no comment at all. He said he'd need to send keys & paperwork by courier and would I be willing to cover cost (refundable). I said sure, I'd send $100 to cover mailing and his time. He said he needs at least $250. Where is he sending from, the moon? I have confirmed shipments at work, very secure shipping since it's hazardous pharmaceuticals, and it does not cost $250. How much does a set of keys weigh? Meanwhle I looked at outside of house. I can understand someone leaving curtains at the windows and a hose on front lawn to make it look lived in. But I garden and I know a yard will look neglected after just 2 weeks without care. The lawn was mowed and flowers blooming. So I email and ask is someone caring for the place and also asked what courier service would he use to send me keys. He'd always answered emails in about 30 minutes. 3 days later no reply. Like I asked too many questions so he vanished, although all my questions were pretty standard.
I had been wondering if it was a scam, get me to send $250 to some PO Box and vanish. BTW, I've sent no money.
Then Friday I email about another house, this one $1200, low by area standards but not ridiculously low. I get a reply almost word for word identical EXCEPT this man signed full name, said he was in Lagos as a missionary, etc. - in other words, a lot of corroborating detail. Looks like the "oakland house" man copied someone's ad but removed all identifying information.
Anyway. I'm not sure if I should forward email correspondence to Oakland PD or craig's list since it sure looks like a scam, although no crime has been committed (at least not against me).
Thoughts?
