WARNING : Rental Scams in Self Catering Holiday Home Lettings

Attempted Rental Scam in Cyprus January 2006

In Mid January 2006 a jmlvillas.com client received an enquiry via their website that has all the classic signs of a "scam rental".

Below are the sequence of emails exchanged (with full names and email addresses removed). It show the approach by the person pretending to rent, then being told the price will be 350 plus some air conditioning costs, supplying bank details and then being told a payment of 3,000 will be made and could the balance be returned etc!

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-----Original Message----- From: KATE L xxxx[mailto@yahoo.com] Sent: 12 January 2006 17:04 To: Cyprus client Subject: mail me back today

My name is kate A female modelling in west Africa.I will like know that I am intrested in renting your room for 2 week so that I can stay there for the momment i came for a concert in the Cyprus. I will like you to give me the cost of renting the room for 2week and all the bill I have to pay when i stay there also . Waiting to hear from Back asap. Regards kate......

Hello Kate, Thank you for your request and for choosing our company. We will be glad to provide you with accommodation, but to give you the price we need to know the exact dates when you are planning to come in Cyprus and what apartment you would like to rent ( 1, 2 or 3-bedroom). Please give us more detail about your visit in Cyprus and we will prepare the offer for you. Best regards, Company representative plus office address and phone and fax number

-----Original Message----- From: KATE L xxxx[mailto@yahoo.com]Sent: 12 January 2006 19:51

Thanks for the mail i will like you to that am intred in 2bedroom and also i will stay by 30 of jan 2006 I will like you to give me the cost of renting the room for 2week and all the bill I have to pay when i stay there also . Waiting to hear from Back asap. Regards kate

Dear Kate

We have available XXXX for the duration you are interested in, it is a 2 bedroom apartment and the cost is 175.00CYP per week, so the total would be 350.00CYP for the 2 weeks. The price does not include air conditioning and that is an extra 2.00CYP per day per unit. If you are still interested in staying with us, and as it is so close to the 30 January, you will need to send us the full payment amount. You can pay directly into our bank account, the details are as follows:

Bank Name: XXXXX BANK Bank Address: Branch No. then address of bank Swift No.: XXXXX IBAN: CYXXX XXXXX............. Account Holder's Name: XXXX XXXXX LTD Account Holder's Address: XXXXX ................. CYPRUS Account Number: XXXXXXX

There are no other costs on top of the rental of the apartment other than your food and spending money while you are here.

If you would like us to arrange a taxi transfer from the airport to XXXXX, the cost would be 15.00CYP each way from Pafos Airport or 50.00CYP from Larnaca Airport. This is paid directly to the taxi driver who would meet you at the airport holding up a sign with your name on so you can identify him. You will need to supply us with your full flight details: flight number, airline, arrival into the airport and from which airport you fly from. For the departure, we would need to know the same information but which airport you will be leaving from and which airport you will be flying into when you leave Cyprus. Please advise if you would like us to arrange the taxi transfer for you.

Please also advise us if you would like us to hold XXXXX for you, and if so, when you have transferred the money into our bank account, please could you email us with the transaction number the bank give you. Many thanks Kind regards Company representative etc

-----Original Message----- From: KATE L xxxx[mailto@yahoo.com] Sent: 13 January 2006 10:11 To: XXXXXXX Subject: XXXXX 30Jan06-13Feb06 enquiry

Hello back, I forwarded your message to the agency and I was instructed to tell you that there mode of payment is going to be by a cheque whcih is going to be in full settlement.So,i will need you to reply back to me if acceptable in order to proceed vert fast.Expecting your reply back today

kate..............

Dear Kate Please ask your agency to send us a Bankers Cheque for the full payment and to please send it by express post to the address shown below in my earlier email, so that we can receive it within a few days.Many thanks Kind regards Company representative etc

-----Original Message----- From: KATE L xxxx[mailto@yahoo.com] Sent: 13 January 2006 12:23 To: XXXXXXX Subject: mail me back today

thanks forthe mail i will like you to give me your Full Name and Address phone number zip code in which the cheque will be send to kindly get back to me today kate

Dear Kate

The name and address of our company is as shown below: address provided etc Please note that the amount for the two weeks is 350.00CYP (Cypriot Pounds) and the cheque that is sent to us needs to equate to that amount after the exchange rate is taken into consideration. Many thanks Kind regards Company representative

-----Original Message----- From: KATE L xxxx[mailto@yahoo.com] Sent: 17 January 2006 12:42 To: XXXXXXX Subject: mail me back today

Thanks for the mai you wont this name to be on the paymen (company representative) OR this (COMPANY LTD) so that i can forward it straight to the agency for promtp payment they are ready to issue out a check out £3,000 to you. It has to go along with my flight fare ticket,my feeding allowance and some other arrangments i need to shuffle out before my coming.Then the payment is going to be send to you as soon as you forward me the details. and you will dredute your £350 and send flight fare ticket to my PA through western union moneyt Then will be expecting your mail back today and i will send you my pics i my nest mail you will be glad to see yours as well or the rooms' pics if any. Await your reply back today.......... kate........

Dear Kate The cheque is to be made out to XXXX Company Ltd, and is to be in the amount equating to 350.00 Cypriot Pounds only.

Please note that we do not arrange flights, you will have to arrange your own flight to Pafos."

We can however, arrange for a taxi transfer for you from the airport to XXXXX, this will cost 15.00 Cypriot Pounds and is payable direct to the taxi driver. The cost is the same for the return taxi transfer to the airport, which again is paid direct to the taxi driver. Please advise if you would like us to arrange the taxi transfer for you -- Kind regards Company representative etc

-----Original Message----- From: KATE L xxxx[mailto@yahoo.com] Sent: 18 January 2006 00.00 To: XXXXX Subject: Get back to me

Hello,

I understand that you are your company those not help people in arranging the flight, I will like you to know that My PA will be the one that will cater for that, What i just want from you is to help me catch the cheque and deduct the money for the room from thev amount send to you by the Agency and send the rest to my passonal Assistance so that he can Help me arrange the flight ticke and other things I will need during the period of my stay, Kindly get back to me to let me know you undersatnad me.Thanks Kate

-----Original Message-----From: Company Sent: 18 January 2006 09:49 To: 'KATE Lxxxxx' Subject: RE: Get back to me

Dear Kate

I am sorry but we cannot accept your cheque unless it is for the amount of 350.00 cypriot pounds which is the cost of the apartment.

Besides which, it is too near to 30 January, the date you wish to arrive, to be able to accept your agency's cheque, pay it into our bank account, wait for it to clear, (which takes 3 weeks), and then transfer what money you require back to you. It is also not our policy to do such a thing

Kind regards Company representative etc

-----Original Message----- From: Company Sent: 23 January 2006 14:18 To: KATE L xxxx[mailto@yahoo.com] Subject: 30Jan - 13 Feb holiday enquiry

Dear Kate

Further to my last email to you, shown below. We can confirm that we are not in receipt of your cheque amounting to 350.00 Cypriot Pounds only.

We are therefore assuming that you will no longer require the apartment as you had previously requested. Please advise if this is not the case.

Kind regards Company representative etc

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We never got a reply so after reading your webpage about scams, I think this was one!

Kind regards

jmlvillas client.

January 27th 2006

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