Questionable property advertisement

handandshrimp

I was looking on myhome.ie at
http://www.myhome.ie/lettings/brochure/51-upper-leeson-street-ballsbridge-dublin-4/1252092
and thought it looked a little too good for the price, so I thought I would email.
I got this response off him and it seems kinda strange. what do you guys think?

Thanks for having interest in my flat...my apartment is still
available now and i have 2 bedrooms (1 double), 1 bathroom inside the
apartment, The whole apartment will cost you 900 euro monthly plus a
security deposit amount of 600 euro that is refundable when ever you
are moving out from my apartment and the total amount is 1,500
euro,and also i would not be able to arrange for a view of the
apartment for you becos i have move out from the apartment purposely
becos i got a new job here in London i have the keys to the apartment
with me here in London but never mind there is a perfect way out just
let me know if
you still have interest in it so that i can tell you the next
procedure, My name is xxxxxxxxx, the apartment belongs to my
late mother and my father have been managing and maintaining the
apartment, but he is presently in (London) due to his work . I am
Working with a Global Telecommunication Company .The is lease is for
900 euros/month/ including the utilities,fridge-freezer, oven,washing
machine, dryer, gas cooker,microwave, dishwasher,electricity bill,
internet and tv charges and others also there are transport links to
city center.and 600 euros for the security deposit which
is refundable during the departure time from the room.I will like to
know where you are from and when you will be MOVING INTO MY flat ? Am
confidently assuring you that you will be more than satisfied when you
come into the apartment,
Thanks again and i look forward to your feedback
Stay Blessed

super_furry

Scam scam scam scam. Nowhere decorated or furnished like that is going to be that cheap, especially in what's probably the most expensive place to rent in the country. If that wasn't enough, the pidgeon English, the 'stay blessed' and the fact that they claim to be out of the country just screams of Nigerian scammers.

If it looks too good to be true, it is.

tricky D

Classic scam. Seen them here many times before.

Signs:
Moved to other country
Deposit and rent don't match
No viewing possible
Price
Security gates on Upper Leeson St - very unlikely

Just select some of the text, Google it and you'll see the same scams in other parts.

whydoibother?

That seems odd. I don't know of people renting in the private sector without viewing. I did rent student accommodation without viewing, but that's different, a university/college is far more reliable than a single stranger.

The questions I'd be asking is why couldn't this guy leave the keys with a friend/use and agency?

Why hasn't the next step in the "procedure" been outlined in the ad?

I love how "MOVING INTO MY" is capitalized, directing you to feel grateful, not suspicious.

Maybe I'm being super-paranoid now but are they even real photo's in the add. They're a little too perfect, they look like digitally created images. Looking at the second photo and the light out the door, is this even Ireland?

I'm really sorry if I've been negative about something genuine. Just please be careful with you're money, and don't send to a random bank account.

mikemac

I think we need a sticky on these

I'm always reminded of the Sweepstakes complex in Dublin 4 and the scam back in 2005. Thousands and thousands taken in the scam

amdublin

Scam.

If it is too good te be true then it is not true.

dory

Absolute scam. Seen it before. Next 'procedure' will involve Western Union.

bmarley

Stay Blessed

You should report this scam just in case someone is silly enough to get caught.

Loads of adds like this lately, have reported a number myself on a site which sells all sorts of things such as boats, cars etc.

handandshrimp

How would I report it as I have no proof that it's a scam? I wouldn't like to see someone get caught out. Should I email myhome or is there a different agency that I should contact that can investigate to see if it is a scam or not?

taz70

There's tonnes of proof it's definitely a scam! The same wording (and incorrect spelling and punctuation) comes up all over Europe!!: http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&p=45035

Even the description of the apartment has been lifted from another advertisement.

Just email the site and tell them to take it down - quote the above website if you like (there are heaps of other warnings out there online).

QuiteInterestin

Don't think those photos are even of an apartment in Ireland, the photo with the desk seems to have a round plug underneath it.

But same as those before me, definitely a scam, with the poor english, explanation etc, avoid at all costs!

handandshrimp

I've sent myhome an email using their contact form. I'll let you guys know what they reply with, if they do. Thanks for the help!

magneticimpulse

agree with the scam. the bedrooms look like a magazine advertisement with it being in the middle of no where...as in it looks like its staged in a warehouse.

None of the rooms match each other...the "downstairs" sitting room is half the size of each bedroom. Why would an appartment have 2 "huge" oversize bedrooms and then a "duplex" sitting room. The "bedroom" with wardrobes next to the dining room (where we see the kitchen)...does not match with either bedroom. Neither double bedrooms are in the same style or dimensions as each other. None of the rooms are in proportion to each other. The bathroom is bigger then the duplex sitting room etc.

The pillows on the bed are the incorrect size of irish pillows. One is an extra long pillow and the "duvet" folds into the underneath of the matress. The duvet is also not irish, because it is too light...indicative again of French duvets (it looks more like my appartment in france). The 2nd double bedroom again, the pillows are the wrong size for ireland!!!! they are cube pillows!!! Most people might not see this as a big deal. But after searching for "normal" pillows in france, i found it impossible as they are either cube shape or really long and its rare to see similar "irish" style pillows or duvets. Therefore these photos i would say were all from a place in France!!!

Also if you look at the 2 properties which are available to rent either side of the property, they do not look anything like this one. As in the other 2 properties you are tell are in typical style houses of that street. The other properties dont give the exact house number. This says number 51!!! But how can it just be number 51 if it is a brand new modern appartment? It does not fit into a typical lesson st house...which is 51 lesson st? Maybe some annex or whatever, but then the address would be different. Went onto Streetview on google maps, and there is no way there are appartments like that on that street. All the houses are typical of that road.

the bathroom has Louis Vuitton make up bag and ladies designer glasses (i assume the person living there is a man). Also, how many irish people leave their sunglasses around the bathroom in the middle of winter??? Even on the sunny winter days in Ireland I dont need sunglasses!!! Hell even in France in winter I dont have my sunglasses out.



I agree the plugs looks foreign and not irish. they have a circular shadow, like european plugs and irish plug sockets are flat, not hollow.

Agree with the "stay blessed" comment. What irish person uses that, let alone in an email.

Please can this post be made a sticky post...i never knew about these sort of scams in Dublin

handandshrimp

Never did receive a reply but the advert has been taken down.

ceadaoin.

Sounds similar to another thread from a few weeks ago

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056172459

tricky D

Yup, right down to the electrical fittings mismatch.

littlejp

I've been emailing this guy out of boredom and to waste his time.
I'm supposed to send him €1500 by Western Digital this evening. Then he is going to FEDEX the keys to me but if I don't like the place I can get a refund!

pooch90

littlejp wrote: »

I've been emailing this guy out of boredom and to waste his time.
I'm supposed to send him €1500 by Western Digital this evening. Then he is going to FEDEX the keys to me but if I don't like the place I can get a refund!

Ah, well that's reassuring at least! So if the foreign sockets don't work for your Irish appliances you can get your money back. That's mighty sound of him.

tricky D

littlejp wrote: »

I'm supposed to send him €1500 by Western Digital this evening.

In a hard drive???

/confused

:pac:

magneticimpulse

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Sounds similar to another thread from a few weeks ago

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056172459

I checked out the photos of the appartment linked to that thread and that appartment is 100% in France...i could pinpoint Bordeaux. Reason? There was a copy of "20 minutes" newspaper on the kitchen table. That newspaper is a free newspaper given out every evening. It could be an all over france newspaper...but definitely one ive seen in Bordeaux.

The French doors also are exactly the same as those of Bordeaux Buildings. I mean come on, there was air conditioning in the sitting room and the furniture is all in French style!!! Again the French pillows on the bed are a give away. The really long one underneath and the 2 "cube" ones on top. How many Irish people have pillows like that? And a duvet that is only suitable for the south of France?? The coffee maker? The croissant on the table?? The razor sockets in the bathroom (ive never seen that in an irish house/bathroom) Hello!!! People really need to have common sense when looking at these adverts for appartments to rent. But thanks for bringing it up. 1ST Ive heard of it.

My guess is that these are French people/French speaking people scamming Irish people on daft.ie.

taz70

magneticimpulse wrote: »

My guess is that these are French people/French speaking people scamming Irish people on daft.ie.

Ah yes, those dastardly French....

Whilst the images may well be French, they're more than likely lifted from an interior design magazine! The scam is pretty common and yes, like most of these types of scams, they typically originate from Nigeria. The same scenarios - indeed the exact same wording - appears in ads all over Europe, so no need to pinpoint the poor old French!

But well done on the detective work!

littlejp

tricky D wrote: »

In a hard drive???

/confused

:pac:

Western Union

I was quizzing him about bus service in the area and he said not to worry about buses as he has a BMW in the basement which I can have full use of for no extra cost... Sounds like the best landlord ever. I'm off to Western Union.

bubblicious

I just posted a reply on the "apartment scam" thread. Apartment in Cork for €300 per month, the reply I got was the same as yours. I've reported it to daft.ie but it looks like this scam is cropping up all over the country!