Apartment Offer

[Mac98]

Hi guys,

I've recently been looking for a low-budget apartment for my friend and I to move into in Vancouver and this french-canadian girl has written to us saying she has an apartment for rent for 1200$. I responded saying it's a shame because the pictures were great and we're responsible people and all but we just can't afford 600$ a piece.

After sending about 2 or 3 e-mails back and forth, she agreed to lower the price to 800$ (so 400$ a piece). You know that saying "when something sounds too good to be true it probably is"? Well...

She's sent me pictures of herself as well as pictures of the apartment, her english spelling isn't perfect and she sent me her passport ID number or something like that but now she's asking for MY personal information to send to her lawyer so her can make the papers and she wishes for our rent money to be wired directly to her mother in London (england, not Ontario). This is my first time apartment hunting like this so I'm not sure whether or not I should trust her. She seems fine but there's just something fishy about it... am I wrong?

 

[MsGoodBody]

.....

 

[sbelle79]

that definatelly sounds fishy, and i've seen stuff like that through craigslist when i've tried to rent my house or sell some things.....
DONT DO IT I'D SAY!!

 

[pwr2theblondes]

Sounds fishy. I wouldnt give her your information.

 

[SweetErika]

It sounds like wire scam fraud and/or ID theft. You wire the money out of the country (and from there it could be bounced to anywhere), and you won't get anything in return, except a stolen identity, perhaps. The Nigerians are infamous for it.

Are you currently living in/near Vancouver, where you can check people and places out in person? Or can you make a trip there to do so?

How about using a roommate/rental service that vets people carefully? I'm sure there are some for Vancouver.

 

[wicked woman]

If it looks great and it's in Vancouver (e.g. downtown) $800 is ridiculously low.

Another vote here for scam. It's just more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[albertaboy]

Scam, rents in Vancouver are the highest in Canada, you couldn't rent a closet for $800/mth there.

 

[Hotcappucino]

It does sound fishy. You don't know anyone in Vancouver that can pop on over to take a look?

 

[liquidpig]

I'm in Vancouver. Tell me where it is and I'll tell you if $800 is reasonable.

It doesn't matter anyways as this has scam written all over it.

 

[Mac98]

I'm in Vancouver. Tell me where it is and I'll tell you if $800 is reasonable.

It doesn't matter anyways as this has scam written all over it.

If ever you DO end up checking it out, let me know if there's a 22 year-old french canadian girl in charge...

I already gave her my name and where I'm from in the first e-mails, but there's no way in hell I'm giving her anything else... Which sucks cuz I don't have a place to stay now and I'm leaving in 2 weeks.

Oh, btw, if any of you know people in Vancouver who are looking to rent out a room or two or are looking for au-pairs... let me know

 

[Reba67]

If you're up for it, the address is 150 W Pender St,Vancouver, BC V6B 1S5, Canada
The Place is very close to Train: Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain

If ever you DO end up checking it out, let me know if there's a 22 year-old french canadian girl in charge...

I already gave her my name and where I'm from in the first e-mails, but there's no way in hell I'm giving her anything else... Which sucks cuz I don't have a place to stay now and I'm leaving in 2 weeks.

Oh, btw, if any of you know people in Vancouver who are looking to rent out a room or two or are looking for au-pairs... let me know

Seriously, you posted your potential home address on a forum like this? Even though it sounds like it's too good to be true, be careful with your address.

 

[Mac98]

Seriously, you posted your potential home address on a forum like this? Even though it sounds like it's too good to be true, be careful with your address.

No, I'm not going to live there. It's been decided. I don't trust the person enough and I don't have enough time left to guess. Won't be living there so to be honest, if anyone wants to go and check it out, knock yourself out.

I've started the procedures to notify the RCMP about it. My mother's had scam offers before and knows a guy who deals with internet scams like this. So they can look into it and find out whether it's credible or not, but I'm not taking chances.

 

[bisexualsmoker]

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[Mac98]

Damn, that's good to know. Will take note of that, thank you.

It was, in the end, a scam. And that's according to the RCMP

 

[o2bebd]

I am a business manager at an apartment community and this is not how we do business. I have handled business transactions for people renting sight unseen from as far away as India to St. Louis before and this is not how it is done. Don't do business with this person!

 

[Mac98]

I am a business manager at an apartment community and this is not how we do business. I have handled business transactions for people renting sight unseen from as far away as India to St. Louis before and this is not how it is done. Don't do business with this person!

That's good to know. Thanks. I've never really done this before so I'm not quite sure on how it works. But at ;east I know a few of the do's and don'ts, now. Thanks.