SCAMPATROL

[PsycheDelia_Smith]

I'm having to send more and more warnings about these scams recently. About the same as any other check scam, with the room rental as the goods.

The scammer seeks out ads for rooms to rent/share. The scammer contacts the advertiser. The advertiser agrees to rent the room to the scammer. The scammer says he won't be arriving for a while, but will send payment up-front.

The victim is told payment will arrive in the post, possibly a cashier's check, for much more than the rental. The victim is asked to send the difference back to the scammer via money transfer. (Western Union or suchlike).

After the money is sent back to the scammer, he vanishes, and the bank discovers the check was counterfeit, leaving the victim with huge debt and possible criminal investigation.

[frodo]

I've also seen these morph into "love scams". The scammer claims to be a model from South Africa who just wants the room for a short stay. "She" sends a photo and when the advertiser of the property becomes smitten, "she" comes up with a dozen different reasons why "she" needs money to be sent before "she" arrives to stay with the victim. Naturally, the scammer never shows up - "she" just keeps collecting the money.

[PsycheDelia_Smith]

^^ Exactly. In the case of one of the victims I've warned, the scammer is posing as an attractive female, and has befriended the victim, who believes very soon he'll be sharing a room with an attractive young woman. A combination scam.