Admin

Craig's List Scam

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with The Virtual Link

A post by one of our IREAA members has certainly caught our attention, it reads:

 

Recently, I was encountered by a situation relating to one of my client's "For Sale" listings, that I had posted
on Craig's list. It's a long story, but I'll try to sum it up.

 

Someone had taken the post that I created and changed the text to read that this was a rental property with a very low rent, changed the "Reply To" email address slightly so that it still resembled my client's email address (they used a Yahoo Email) and reposted this ad in the Rental Homes section. People began to respond to the ad.

 

One woman, who thought the reply she received looked a bit fishy, decided to dig further and found my clients real ad and email address. She forwarded us the response she received from the con artisit to her "request for more info". The message was designed to look as if it was coming from a legitimat real estate agent, my client, and spoke about how "her client", the person renting out the home, was a Roman Catholic Priest and away in Nigeria on a mission. It stated that she was left in charge of renting the property out to a "nice person like yourself" and the rent was so low because he wanted to make sure he got good tenants.



As I was in the process of investigating this with Craig's List, about a half hour later my client called back to tell me someone was at the door of the property (her listing client's home) looking to move in. They had paid someone an amount of money, equal to the rent, for immediate occupancy in the home.



Now I know you'll say, "what kind of idiot would just give a stranger money for a home they never saw", just like I said. That's not the point really, we don't know the circumstances. People go to desperate measures and take chances when they are in certain situations, especially if it comes to putting a roof over their families head.



My client was extremely concerned about her name and reputation being tarnished. We decided against taking all listings out of Craig's list since this could have happened on any of the internet listing sites, even the public MLS. I now check the listings daily on these sites and have set up Google Alerts for all the properties. If I had a Google Alert set up for that one I, most likely, would have seen the rental ad when it was posted.
 



Comments(5)

Show All Comments Sort:
Janet and Samuel Marcus
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Manhasset, NY
Licensed Associate Brokers
Thanks for the heads up.  we have to be dilligent.  There is always someone looking to take advantage of anothers desperation.  It's sad but a fact of life.
Feb 13, 2008 05:32 AM
Amber Sanders
Lubbock, TX

Thanks for letting us know about this!  I use Craigslist for my team, so I really appreciate the heads up!

Aug 21, 2008 11:34 AM
Wenda Rogers
Around The Clock Solutions - Oxford, NJ
Certified Real Estate VA

These people are something else.  I am the one who wrote the original post on IREAA, it was my client and her seller who were partial victims in this scam.  The crazy thing about this was that these people moved so fast.  From the time I found out that this was taking place until the time that I was able to get their ad flagged and speak to someone at Craigslist, these people had another victim and already had their money, it was a few hours at most.  Keep an eye on your listings with Google Alerts, it works really well.

Dec 30, 2008 12:09 AM
Greg R. Benson
Keller Williams Realty Bellevue - Bellevue, WA
Bellevue, Kirkland, WA Real Estate

Hello, great post.  I just recieved an email from Elvis (He is alive) Baker or Abkar.

Here is how it looks. It's identicle to the one that Jon Muckleroy got.

 I am going to play it out and see what happens. I will keep you posted.

Dear Benson Greg R,

 

I am a private relocation agent in the CANADA serving a niche market for top celebrities, government officials and clients from the Gulf region (mainly Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Russia) in meeting their relocation needs.

My clients needs vary considerably. Some of the services I provide to my clients range from simple acquisition of residential properties to assisting their siblings/mistresses settle down in a new country and acquisition of commercial properties.


One of my clients on this occasion has indicated interest in the acquisition of a residential property in the USA particularly in BELLEVUE for his mistress. Considering the financial implications of my travelling, your expertise, local knowledge and high hotel expenses of my stay, I have chosen to contact you on subject. Would you be kind enough to forward to me by email attachment some of the properties you have on your listing pursuant to this urgent need. To help narrow the search, I have outlined some of the specifics my client has given.

 

CLIENT'S SPECIFICS

 

*Minimum of three bedrooms

*Minimum of two baths

*Property must be a stand-alone (Fully Detached) house and not communal residence/block of flats

*Secure Private parking for at least two cars

*Available budget ...$500,000 - $1M USD

*Choice residential location offering outright purchase

*Time frame given is three weeks

*Proximity to shopping mall and at the most 10 to 20 miles radius of a city centre

 

Please consider that my client on this occasion is expecting from me, a fast and excellent service as he has got some urgent family issues and has reposed confidence in me based on my track record from serving his friends and associates in the past. Be very free to contact me ASAP with details of any property reflecting the specifics above to discuss the way forward.

 

Be sure that we shall both be very clear on issues relating to fees/percentages and client meetings beforehand.


Thank you for your cooperation.


ELVIS BAKER

 

Email: (elvisbaker.props@gmail.com)

PRIVATE RELOCATION AGENT

Jul 31, 2009 03:53 PM
Michel Bell
Coldwell Banker Prime Properties - East Greenbush, NY
Seasoned & Full Time Real Estate Broker

I CAME ACROSS THIS NEW SITE THAT IS GOING TO BE LAUNCHED, MUCH LIKE CRAIGSLIST BUT FOR REAL ESTATE! SO EXCITED!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=568991297#!/group.php?gid=112365192152629&ref=mf

Aug 31, 2010 05:40 PM