A friend of mine has just been given a scam email on gumtree.com and I thought i should alert other internet users of this scam.
I will put a copy of the email at the end of this post so Internet searchers can find it. I hate scammers but this one person is preying on vulnerable foreigners who are looking for rooms to rent in London. The email has a lot of information regarding how great the room is, but the women/ fat man is not asking for any monthly rent…she is just lonely! Alarms bell should ring when the deal seems to good to be true but I can understand the desperation that a foreigner can feel when looking for somewhere to live. Ok so lets put all the facts that this women has given us:
Name: Rebbeca Jane Dagg
Location of property: 3 Rathbone Street, Central london
Rebbeca Jane dagg has also sent a scanned version of her passport - but we still don’t know if this Rebbeca Jane Dagg exists so it really proves nothing.
Once you have shown interest, Rebbeca will then inform you that you need to send her some money upfront in order to secure the room. I then imagine the “receipt” never shows up and then you later find out that the property never exists and that you have been scammed.
I hope by writing this blog post, i will be able to rank for the address on Google…so i can stop any other foreigners getting burnt as I know the scammer is working on gumtree at the moment.
Remember if its too good to be true - then it probably is!
Here is a copy of the email that he/she has sent round.
Hello ,
The place is located on, 3 Rathbone Street, Central London/Oxford Street, W1T 1LB
THE APARTMENT BOASTS: 1300 Square Feet
Quiet; 15 Min to 2 or 3 express train
Internet/Cable Ready
Brand New Washer & Dryer in the apartment
Huge Windows in the entire Apt/Lots of Light
Dishwasher
Living Room is Furnished w/2 pc Sectional Jennifer Convertible Couch; Denon Surround Sound Speakers
Gourmet Style Kitchen open into the Living Room
Hardwood Floor,12″ CeilingsTHE ROOM: Master Bedroom FURNISHED; Be Ready to provide 1stmonth rent 300 pounds(bills inclusive),security deposit 100 pounds(refundable)
12″ Ceilings; 12 X 6
2 Huge Windows with a great View
Huge Walk-in Closet with Storage space on top
Internet and Cable Ready
You really have to see the
apartment to believe it. This will go fast
You should be:
Mature, Clean, Considerate, Responsible Male/Female And All The Other Things You Would Want In A Roommate*IMPORTANT PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:
You Will Have Your Own Private Bedroom Literally 12′x6′ Which Does Comfortably Fit A Twin, Full, or Queen Sized Bed.Each room in the apartment Has A Built In Closet, A Large Window (i.e. Natural Day Light), A Small Desk, High Speed Wireless Internet, and Your Own Independent Digital Cable Connection w/500+ Channels (In Your Room).
The whole apartment You Will Rent Is furnished, The Apartment Is Completely Furnished And Beautiful. We Do Not Need Any Common Area Furniture.
I am Very Organized, Busy But Also Very Laid
Back And Clean Individual Very Respectful Of Each Other’s Space & Privacy. The Walls Are Thick So The Room & Apartment Are Very Quiet & Peaceful.
All Utilities Including High Speed Wireless Roadrunner Internet Throughout The Apartment, Maxed
Out Digital Cable TV w/All Premium Stations (In Your Room & Living Room), Central Air Con., Electricity, Central Heating, and Gas Are Included w/Rent.
T
here Is A Apartment Lease Agreement.
I Would Like To Show You My Apartment So Please Shoot Me An Email
DESCRIPTION TO THE PLACE
Tube:
Goodge Street: 0.1 mile(s) approx.
Tottenham Court Road: 0.2 mile(s) approx.
Oxford Circus: 0.3 mile(s) approx.
Railway:
Euston: 0.4 mile(s) approx.
Euston (London): 0.5 mile(s) approx.
London St Pancras: 0.7 mile(s) approx.
Airport:
London (City): 7.2 mile(s) approx.
London (Heathrow): 14.7 mile(s) approx.
Attractions:
Palladium: 0.3 mile(s) approx.
Whatever your reason for visiting London, it is a city that has something to offer everyone. London has successfully fused its grand heritage with modern living and attracts a wide range of visitors every year. Whether, it’s sightseeing in Trafalgar Square, shopping on Oxford Street or entertainment in the West End, you will be spoilt for choice. London also has a huge choice of restaurants, bars and hotels to suit any budget.
While the areas to the north of the Thames are renowned for housing many of London’s traditional attractions, e.g. Buckingham Palace, to the south of the river there is still much to see with many of the newer and more contemporary attractions, e.g. The Tate Modern. If you are on a budget there are also many free attractions throughout the city. London is Europe’s largest city and it is easy to get overwhelmed and not make the most of your visit, so it’s worth planning your trip and familiarising yourself with its districts before you travel.
The quality and choice of dining in London has developed dramatically in recent years, and many of the world’s top chefs have chosen London as the place to house their prestigious restaurants. You will also find a fantastic range of affordable options to suit any budget. With flavours from all over the world, you will be spoilt for choice.
These are place where you get good meal:
The Rock Garden
6/7 The Piazza, Covent Garden, London, WC2E, +44 (0)207 257 8613
Belgo Centraal
29b Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9LJ, +44 (0)207 813 2233
Palm Court Brasserie
39 King Street, London, WC2E 8JS, +44 (0)20 7240 2939……ETC…
There are also bars and pubs if you care for some…..I mean after a long day at work
I’m looking for a responsible tenant that’s clean pay the bills on time and that has great positive energy. There are plenty of negative people out there the last thing I want is to come home to a negative filled house
and vice versa. Email me with any other questions you might have and I will gladly answer them. I’m looking to rent out to nice and cool person
i really understand your plight and i want you to know that the apartment is fully available.Its your place and you can receive visits as much as it wouldnt inconvenient you….I would like to know how long you will be staying and when you will love to move in……LOL
Cheers,
Rebecca
And here is the passport photo:
19 Comments Received
February 9th, 2008 @8:04 am
I have been scammed by this fuck head, I transferred the money yesterday then found out today thru the net it was a scam if only I had checked this prior to depositing. WATCH OUT~ TRAVELLERS- ALSO JUST IN CASE THE SCUM BAG WHO DID THIS TO ME IS READING THIS YOUR FUCKED NO REALLY YOU ARE read my emails you sad ugly fucker
February 16th, 2008 @1:45 pm
i am afraid i was also caught up in the same situation, but before paying up, i just thought to myself, let me check up the person on the net as something didn’t seem right and bingo I have just found it! gratitude to the original writer. As for others, please watch out as she/he gets the adverts from the gumtree website.
March 2nd, 2008 @8:02 am
Here is a copy of the email that he/she has sent me when I asked for a viewing the property:
Hello
…..Thanks for your interest in the room….I am so sorry it took me a while to get back to you..I have been so busy at work and also coupled along with some domestic problems…It would have been a good thing to have you come around the place but as i am a very busy woman and i have lots of offers at hand so i think you will have to make reservation for the place so i could keep it for you..It will be free for the period of
time you want and for the period,it can go for 300 pounds with a refundable security deposit of 100 pounds
I got a call last night that my Mom was ill back in Manchester..I am on my way there now..I will be in manchester for a period of time but i can make things happen from here through email……I hope that will be okay for you…I want to assure you that the room consist of all you have requested for,its a standard room,furnished and has all the essential things a room should have…….As of the fact that you will be moving into this room,i have to be sure before i keep it for you so i thought of a reservation process
To secure the place,you have to make some commitments financially and morally…..First,i will need to inform my lawyer who will prepare a Rental Agreement Contract between which i will send to you through email,you will read it carefully and if you are ok
with it,you print it out,sign and send back to me the way i sent it to you and i will forward to my lawyer for documentation…After which you will make the upfront payment of the first month and security deposit prior,the security deposit(refundable)..
Then a receipt will be issued to you which you will bring along at your move in date for proof of identity and also identification…For me to be able to commence with the contract,i will need you full details such as full name,current address and date of birth
which my lawyer will use to prepare the contract…….I am very sure you understand all this,get back to me if its ok with you….
As soon as this is done,i will be very sure of your seriousness and by then i would spare 2 days and come down to London to show you around the place and tell you things about the area…If you find the place unpleasant to what you have seen in the pictures,then we can cancel the contract and refund your payment with no fee deducted..But i am so sure there is no difference in what you have seen in the pictures….
Well,at the moment,i think this is how far i could go in explaining how this could be done in my absence….I am deeply sorry if this is going to be of any inconvenience…..Accept my apologies…
I wait to read from you
Rebecca Jane Dagg=
March 2nd, 2008 @7:26 pm
Could you please send me all the correspondent emails btw you and the scammer.I guess i am about to fall victim.Please send it to shinerdmx@yahoo.com
March 5th, 2008 @7:42 pm
here another joke of REBECCA!
Hello
Thanks for the mail…..First i will like to tell you that there are a lot of people in London looking to rent a room and they are not finding it easy…I am lonely in this flat cause its too big for me alone so i just need some company thats why i am renting out the room and thats why it is not expensive…I am not renting out the room for the money,but i cant just let the bills be a burden…I have lot of people who want my room at the moment but i chose you because you are a foreigner and i love to live with foreigners as you will be able to learn from them….Thats why i am choosing you offer..
The flat consist of three rooms and i use only one…The price for the room can go for 400 pounds per month..And a security deposit of 150 pounds
There are ways you can make reservation for this room and there would be a legal document stating that you are the owner of the specified space….due to the fact that there are many foreigners that want this rooms in London and they are ready to take it but i will love to reserve the space for you…
Let me know if you agree with the reservation idea and get back to me so as to put you through the process…In case you mind,i scanned and attach a copy of my passport so you would be sure about me and you wont have any reason to doubt…
Hope to read from you soon
Rebecca
March 5th, 2008 @9:44 pm
Sidonie Sheene ‘I have been scammed by this fuck head, I transferred the money yesterday then found out today thru the net it was a scam if only I had checked this prior to depositing. WATCH OUT~ TRAVELLERS- ALSO JUST IN CASE THE SCUM BAG WHO DID THIS TO ME IS READING THIS YOUR FUCKED NO REALLY YOU ARE read my emails you sad ugly fucker’
I have the same problem. I sent some info to the watchdog hopefully they able to warn more people over the internet.
March 6th, 2008 @11:34 am
I think the best thing we can do is link to this post from our webpages, blogs, myspace profiles…etc so when anyone search’s for any part of the email they get this blog post. I want to stop anyone else getting scammed by putting this information out there.
March 7th, 2008 @7:58 am
yesterday morning I wrote a mail to rebacca saing that I knew who it/she is….this is hir/her answer:
Hello
What do you want me to do to prove to you that i am not a scammer?…..I am aware of what you have said and the metropolitan police do know about it too..
Someone on the internet has been using my details and information to chect people and not me…..That is why i have involved my lawyer in this and also that is why i sent you a copy of my international passport so you can see i am the real Rebecca Jane Dagg
Waiting to read from you
Rebecca
March 7th, 2008 @11:58 am
The point is.. that this deal is far too good to be true! therefore it is a scam - so do not be fooled!
An apartment in that area of London would cost thousands of pounds a month…!
Irrespective of the fact that she has sent a passport - you should ignore the emails.
A scanned passport means nothing - i could scan in my friends passport - but does that mean I am them?
The internet can be a scary place due the anonymity of the whole thing.
Just remember to be as cautious as you are in the “real” world.
March 8th, 2008 @8:34 am
If he/she can refund the deposit, etc then my case will be sorted. If not I’m very happy to provide my details, correspondings, receipts, etc to the metropolitan police. He/she can involves her lawyer as well.
March 11th, 2008 @11:40 am
Joe what happened with you?? Did you end up sending the scammer money like me?
March 11th, 2008 @11:42 am
Hey Marta
What happened with you?
March 11th, 2008 @7:54 pm
I stopped any comunication!
March 11th, 2008 @7:58 pm
since i told hse that i’d like to see her flat…just in order to see har behave..and she/he stopped to mail me!
thank u guys!
hopping that she will be punished for her/his cheats!
March 11th, 2008 @11:15 pm
She contacted me via craigslist with her passport and said she needed a flatmate because she was lonely. She also said she had inherited a logging company from her dead father and that shed be happy to get me a work visa/permit before coming out there, i then sent her a fake western union receipt and that sent her reeling, it was great, she was freaking out asking where the money went since she went to western union and couldnt get the money since it was fake, she kept emailing me saying send it again! after telling her she was a fraud, i havent heard from her.
March 13th, 2008 @4:17 pm
Jeremy thats class!
I wish i had thought of something more inventive than just blogging about it.
March 14th, 2008 @7:44 pm
Oh my god that is completely hilarious Jeremy I am so glad she/he/it got screwed over. I am so pissed I didn’t think of that before you!!!!!! I hope the person read our blog they would feel like such scum!
July 10th, 2008 @10:59 am
Hey, anyone who knows if this ad:
http://rent-let.vivastreet.co.uk/rent-flats-property-house+london-sw1x/vacant-flat/8141593
is from that same scammer Rebbeca Jane, as she told me her name was. I sent her a friendly mail showing my interest in the flat and when I wrote I won’t be willing to pay any deposit she wrote me this back:
Well as you already know.. am presently in wales working..and am a very busy persone dont like my time been wasted .. and i hate to chart or send bulk of miails.. to any one who i just here as a waste of time. and i have interest in you geting the flat.. cos it will defiatly look like a help to you…
Yes my flat is located in Soho… And i belive the pics if the flat i have sent you is enough to make u see ave interest that us if you want to.. which am not forcing you to…
And am sorry .. to let you know that you will have to make a deposite so that my flat advert will be closed and reserved for.. cos you cant expect me to just close my flat advert and reserve it for you just like..that.. while am not yet sure u are capable of paying or willing to pay for it..
You will have to make a comitment to make belive in you.. and have confid befor my flat can be reserved for you till you get here. mean while after the deposite you will be issued a receipt which you will have to come down with while coming to my flat and also a lease contract agremment form wll be signed by you.. hope u get it all now..Girl?
Have a splendid day and bye for now
Rebbeca.
So what do you think, can it be the same person??
By the way her flat is suppose to be in SW1X, which isn’t Soho!
July 11th, 2008 @2:22 pm
Rebecca Dagg is now operating in Paris. Similar procedure as below. Be aware!! Thanks for sharing!! Juli 2008
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