Scam Alert
There is a scam that is commonly encountered in the rental industry, primarily targeting those with rooms for rent (roommates). The request typically comes from someone located in an area outside of the United States through email. The scammers originally play the part of a prospective renter to obtain information about how much is due (rent, security deposit, etc.). At this point, the usual story is that they (or their family) is owed money by someone in the United States. They request that this person send you the money that is needed to secure the room and to pay their first month's rent; however, there is a catch. The "prospective renter" states that the amount of the money sent to you is going to be more than what is needed for the room/apartment and requests that the balance be sent to them to cover their moving expenses and transportation costs. At this point, after your check has been sent to them, deposited, and deducted from your account, your bank discovers that the money that you originally deposited (the amount that was sent by your interested party) is fraudulent and is withdrawn from your bank account. At this point, you are left without the money that was originally deposited, plus the amount of money that you sent to them as a refund!
Be very cautious if you encounter this. There have been quite a few people that have fell victim to this scam. These scammers are professionals, and the counterfeits that are sent to you appear very real! If you feel that you may be in the middle of this scam, please contact the remitter to verify the validity of the money order.
The following images are associated with this scam and shown only for your protection:
Letter of correspondence enclosed with payment - 
52.6 KB
Copy of one of the fraudulent payments (color) - 128 KB
Copy of one of the fraudulent payments (black and white copy) - 224 KB
If you have any questions about this scam, or wish to inquire about additional protection, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
Read more about this -
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html
http://www.homerentalads.com/scam-alert.htm
http://paulm.com/inchoate/2004/06/419_rent_scam.html
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