Don't get caught in a real estate scam

We already warned in several previous stories that real estate scams are running rampant, especially in areas where people just moved out of the “underwater” homes from one moment to the next. Banks that have foreclosed on homes don’t have the manpower to check regularly and some crooks simply take “possession” by breaking in, changing locks and assume landlord rights. They then place rental ads, collect a reasonable first and last and security deposit…..and be gone. It happens a lot. The following story is even more amazing as the crooks stay mostly out of harms way by means of the internet. Here is the Craigslist advertisement that showed up a couple of days ago in the Jacksonville issue that got our attention.

Single-Family Home for rent in Fernandina
$800 / 3br – Single-Family Home for rent in Fernandina (Fernandina Beach)
Reply to:
Date: 2009-07-02, 8:22AM
Custom design, professionally decorated with coastal accents this unique plan in Amelia Park will satisfy your need for originality. Open and comfortable with lots of natural light and views of the garden. First floor bedroom suite and the master and additional bedroom suite are upstairs along with the large covered porch. A spacious flex space located above the 2 car garage is large enough to accommodate multiple uses and makes an ideal home office. The open kitchen features granite and wood counters, glass front cabinets and stainless appliances including a gas Jenn-Air stove. Stained concrete floors lend contemporary flair to this Charleston style home. Spend leisure hours reading or enjoying your morning coffee or a meal on any of the three porches Perimeter Park Rd (google map) (yahoo map)
- cats are OK – purrr
- dogs are OK – wooof
- Location: Fernandina Beach
- it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Original URL:http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/apa/1250017250.html

Here is where an interesting journey across the Globe began and ended with a startling outcome. Knowing the Real Estate and Rental Market on Amelia Island quite intimately, the $800 caught our eyes instantly. Amelia Park for $800? Maybe a typo?

So we decided to ask the question and what follows is the entire back and forth of emails on this scam. We actually received a phone call as well, supposedly from Nigeria.

Our first email:
“Is the amount for rent actual or a mistake? If it is actual, I am very interested. I have been renting from the same person for two years and have excellent references from him and others. We are ready to downsize now the kids have moved out. Only adults and one 12 lb., well behaved dog will be living there.Thank you, XX”

Their answer email:
Hello
God bless you for your interest about our House. This 3BR/2B is still available for rent. I am renting this house to a responsible and neat person or family who has the fear of God and treat my house as his or her own.

Presently Myself and my wife have moved out of the house due to my work transfer to Western Region in Africa and will be away for 6 years or more and this is why we are actually renting it out so if you are interested in  taking good care of our house then my family will be ready in accepting you as our new tenant and family friend.

If you really impress us by taking good care of our house then you will be allowed to stay as long as you wish okay…..This 3BR/2B And the SQ is 2,000 3bedroom house 2 bath. Ready to move in. This is the address of the House

(1887 Perimeter Park Rd, Fernandina Beach FL)

So get back to me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in renting . Hope you are okay with the price of US$800/month with heat laundry facilities, air condition and so on and the deposit fee is $600..
PETS ARE WELCOME! I am looking forward to hear from you ASAP. So that will can forward you an Application to fill out and discuss on how to get the House for rent and also the Entrances keys and the document of our house,also are you ready to rent it now or when?

Await your urgent reply. Thanks for your understanding.

Remain Blessed.

SHELL OIL COMPANY NIGERIA LIMITED
Cathy T and Richard J Chapman
ADDRESS: 12 BENSON STREET
CITY: BENIN CITY
STATE: EDO
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
PHONE:+2348029218053
CELL:0112348029218053
WORK:+2347090437293
PERSONAL EMAIL:richardchapman18@yahoo.com
MANAGING DIRECTOR

A Couple of things at this stage of the communication were intriguing:

1. $800 including utilities? Maybe they were just looking for a house sitter, but the language used did not imply that.
2. The Blessed part and the language use were a little strange anyway. Richard Chapman sounded British so what was that all about. In addition he purported to be a topman at Shell Oil. Hummmm.
3. The mention of Nigeria made our hair stand up a little as well as it seems that that whole country is in the global scam business.
4. Okay so we decided to Google Richard Chapman and his connection to SHELL OIL. And there it was, clear as day, there was a scam going on. So we decided to edge them on and see what would happen.

Our return email:
I would love to enjoy, live and take care of your home. My husband and I will treat your home just as good as you would. That I promise. I have many references and we have been renting from Robert Peters for over 2 years now. He sincerely loves us as tenants and I know will hate to see us go. We even built in a back screened in porch onto his home, which increased the value. We are always timely in our rent, so that is no problem..
We have lived in Fernandina Beach for three years now. I am American and my husband is Dutch. Our small dog is extremely well behaved and never has accidents or harms things. Everyone falls in love with him.
I have six children, but they are all grown and live on their own.
I would want to give my present landlord a month notice, as I feel that is the decent thing to do. I hope this will not be a problem. We have finished our lease and have been renting month to month because he trusts us.
I am honest in all my dealings, so I will have to admit that I am a spiritual person, but do not go to a particular church. I feel I can worship by doing right by the world around us and treating people as I would want to be treated. I hope this has your approval. (starting to play in on their tone of language)
Rent amount and deposit is fine. We are not loud people either and we work from home so someone will usually be at home overseeing it all.
Thank you for your time. Please let me know what the next step would be. All the best, XX

Their immediate answer:
Hello,
Thank you for getting back to us. Well the house still very much available for you, because my wife and I talk it over and we both agreed that we let you take very good care of the house. Well my family and I shall be staying for about 6 t 7 years in western region in Africa . Meanwhile one thing you need to understand is that our house is already locked you are very much free to view our house.. But please try and understand us because will told you that you can only view outside the house and some other area of the house. So below is the Lease Rental Application form you needed to fill out…
RENTAL APPLICATION FORM…………..
Thanks for choosing to rent our home, Here are the information that qualified you as our new tenant.

1) Your Full name:……………………
2) Your full address:………………..
3) How old are you:………………
4) Are you Married or Engaged:…………..
5) How many people will be living in house:……….
6) Do you have a pets:………
7) Do you have car:……………..
Occupation:……………………
9) Your cell phone number and work number:…………….
10) Address of your current house:……………….
11) The name of your LandLord:……………..

Get back to me with all this information if you are really interested in my house,
Await your reply ..

You are free to call us at +2348029218053 or this 011-234-802-921-8053
Thanks for your understanding

Richard Chapman

By now the word “understanding”, was getting on my nerves, but we continued to play along.
Here is our next answer back:
I just came back from seeing your home. It is quite lovely and would be just perfect. I did however notice a For Sale sign out front. Will it be staying on the market? Also the home looks furnished. Is someone living there at this time or is it furnished? We have our own furnishings.
Since I have seen it, I am excited.
If there is anything you are curious about or would like to know, please ask, we are an open book. Hope to hear from you soon. XX

Their answer back:
Thank you very much for visiting our house. Well our house is very much furnished, you are very much free to bring in your own furnitures into our house. Meanwhile with the forsale sign you saw that was long time ago that we intend in selling our house well once you receive the keys/document ot the house you can removed it. Kindly get back to us with the rental application form in other for us to proceed forward. Thank for your understanding.

Richard Chapman

Wow, the use of language was now really turning problematic. The last 2 sentences especially would be a dead give away for someone in the position of Managing Director for Shell Oil.
Upon receiving this email we decided to play one more step and filled out and emailed the 11 points of the application form upon which we received the following answer:

Hello John A,

Glad to hear from you, i got your application form filled and everything is okay by me.
Myself and my wife are very exited and willing to let you we move in our house as soon as possible and we have conclude on accepting payment for the first month payment is $800 including Utilities inside and a security deposit of $600 the total of $1,400 to move in as soon as you are ready.

The package containing the keys and documentations will be delivered to you withing 24 hours through the address you send to us why filling out the rental application form (xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx x 32034 and after your deposit is confirmed here.

Here are the contents of the document.

1) Entrance and the rooms Keys
2)Paper/Permanent house form
3)The house documetary file.

I have made enquiries on how you can get the deposit to me and i was told there is also a Money Transfer Facilities or either a Money Gram outlet any one of them close to you will be better.

I shall forward you our full information you need to wire the deposit payment to us as soon as i hear back from you.
You are free to call us at +2348029218053 or this 011-234-802-921-8053

Mr Richard Chapman

Well the use of the English language is getting worse as you can see as the process draws out.
But then we get a phone call (verifiably from Nigeria) with the intention to explain the money transfer issue and conclude the deal. As a result of this conversation we sent the following email:

It was lovely speaking with you. We went to look at the house, and it is absolutely stunning inside and out, but we were a bit startled by the dog that was barking at us.
I was wondering if we could meet with someone to walk through the home before wiring the money? We are available at anytime you are able to set it up. I would so much appreciate that. All the very best to your and your wife. XX

Their answer now is sounding a little terse and irritated. Here it is:
Well we already told you that our house is already locked that we have the keys/document of our house here with us. Well nevertheless we shall give you a call to discuss more about the house and to tell you the thing needed to be done and how to receive the keys/document from us. Thank you very much for been our new tenant.

Richard Chapman

Funny but after this message, we never heard from them again. Not even trying to explain away the dog. Cowards. We sent them an email stating that the police, CraigsList and the actual owners of the home had been notified, as they were.

We can’t say it enough dear reader, beware of scammers especially in today’s real estate markets. It happens everyday now that people pay deposits and down payments to crooks who produce falsified official looking documents and take your money and run.
In many areas where bank foreclosures have emptied out whole neighborhoods it’s easy for a scammer to make you believe they own a property or are acting on behalf of the owner who is abroad for an extended period of time. They may even show you the house, write up a contract and take your money. While you are getting prepared to move in, they are gone without a trace.

Just imagine these scammers can now live 4,000 mile away on the African continent from where they can check out real estate listings from across the globe and from those listings they write a free ad on Craigslist and offer a deal that some desperate soul out there wants to believe in. Please understand this; these people would not be doing this if they didn’t catch a fish occasionally in the form of an unsuspecting individual!

As always if something is too good to be true, it usually is. If you run into a situation that feels or looks like this one described, don’t hesitate to contact us (editor@searchamelia.com). We have the knowledge and technological resources to check and let you know “what’s what”.