South Slope Rental Scam (via West Africa)
A con artist is trying to bilk would-be renters in Brooklyn out of dough by pretending to offer apartments for rent in a condo building that hasn’t even had any closings yet, according to brokers from Brown Harris Stevens who are representing the building in question. A person claiming to have an $800 apartment for…
A con artist is trying to bilk would-be renters in Brooklyn out of dough by pretending to offer apartments for rent in a condo building that hasn’t even had any closings yet, according to brokers from Brown Harris Stevens who are representing the building in question. A person claiming to have an $800 apartment for rent at 317 16th Street has posted ads on “www.craigslis.org” (a non-functioning URL as of this morning). The fake landlord emails interested applicants and tells them to send him a one-month deposit via Western Union money transfer. “317 16th St. is a new condominium offering. We are the exclusive agents,” says Christopher Thomas, an executive vice president at Brown Harris Stevens Brooklyn. “There are no apartments for rent. The building hasn’t yet had its first closing. I believe the information in the scam is taken from our web site or marketing materials.” An email chain between the confidence man, who poses as a “reverend” living in West Africa, and a prospective renter is reprinted on the jump. Renter beware!
Photo by Triple7.
[Prospective Renter, Personal Info Redacted]:Good morning!
I am very interested in the apartment you have for rent. I was wondering if it can be seen tomorrow?
A little about myself I am a graphic design at the food network, I have lived in brooklyn my whole life and would love to stay here and not move to jersey, I am very quite, I do like having my family over, I don’t smoke, and I do not have a pet. I understand that you want someone neat and clean and I couldn’t mind signing something that states that I will keep your place neat. Will it be unfurnished and how long is the lease?
Please call me back if you can. Thanks!
Have a great Monday!
[Reply]: On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 9:35 PM, Rev. Erber David
Sorry for the delay!! Thanks for the email. My name is Erber David, I own the 1 bedroom apartment located @ 317 16th Street #1A, Brooklyn NY 11215. and also want you to know that it was due to my transfer that makes me, my wife and Son to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So for now, We are here in west Africa, our new house.I personally wanted to Sale the house before but I and my wife decided to put it out for rent.If you could promise us to take very good care of the house,the you can send an email with the information required.One Mr. Smith called me about the apartment,I told him that I cant give him the apartment because he is married with 4 kids ,I do not want his children to get my property damaged.If you are still interested, Note that the rent is going to be $800
I will like you to give me a call on this effect to know how serious you are.
Requirement for now.
Names???
Occupation:?????
Full Address:????(Where keys will be shipped to)
Phone number:??????
below is my phone number
# 0112347084406599 or +2347084406599
I personally will actually come visiting you at May as our new tenant.Looking forward to hear from you.
As a man of God please I am giving you all this base on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words, I am putting everything into God’s hand, so please do not let us down.
Regards
Erber David
[Prospective Renter]: Subject: Re: $800 / 1br – 1 bedroom condo layout with sleek,
To: hidove200@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 2:47 AM
If this would be based on trust are you sending me the key and I would send you a check? To be honest I don’t think I can believe you. How do I know I have your word? How do I know you aren’t going to try to scam me? I’m sorry I can not give you my personal information until I’m sure this is all true. I hope you can understand where I am coming from. I am still very interested but I’m not sure this is true.
[Reply]: From: Rev. Erber David
Date: Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Subject: Acceptance!!
To: [Redacted]
Dear [Redacted],
I have discussed your issue with my wife Debbie and she is very excited that you are going to become our new tenant. The utilities are included and pets are allowed…Because we both have decided to you the apartment, that’s why we have to remove the advert from www.craigslis.org
The fact that we do not have any body in the states to have the apartment shown to you. We are left with no option that to have the keys and rental document shipped via FedEx to 699 Decatur St. Brooklyn NY 11233 . Due to the security of the building , I will include a latter of authorization to avoid you from being embarrassed, when you go for inspection.
Before we ship the rental document and keys to you , you will have to make a payment of 1 month security deposit via WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER,which stands as a commitment fee. Then once the documents arrives and you have them signed, you will then pay for 2 months..This arrangement is based on the fact that I feel secured since you will have to sign as you collect the package from the FedEx agent that will deliver it to you.
1. When are you willing to send the 1 month security deposit????
2. How long do you intend renting the apartment????
As soon as I hear from you, I will let you know how to have the security deposit sent .
Regards and God bless you.
Erber David
I just wanted to thank all of you if anyone comes across this, because i guess april 10th is the day he does this every year, my fiancee was damn near brought in by him on an offer for a 4br new hyde park apartment for only 850, i thought it was odd, then i heard he want located in the country and that was all i really needed to hear, i looked up his name and you guys popped up, you just saved my girl a lot of anguish and me a lot of money. Thank you again, please anyone reading this thread take it to heart.
“circle the wagons” mentality? i like that!
6:32 “as an academic” means you just don’t have the money for a brownstone when you spew all that crap…along with The What…go live in NJ with him
6:32 PM Thats the best written post ever!! I’m so jealous : ^ }! You hit it on the head with a sledgehammer!!! My hat is off to you.
This quote ” I see Brownstoner as a laughable example of the worst excesses of dumb-ass gentrification” is the money shot! I can’t believe white people would overpay to live in the ghetto. This is the psychology on a Mutant Asset Bubble. People believe they shit don’t stink and will do dumb-assed things to prove it! I hope the upcoming depression (there will be one) don’t drag down the neighborhood when the ASSHATS leave.
The What (This Blogs sucks cock and balls)
Someday this war is gonna end…
Hey Brownstoner fix this fucking site!
6:32 PM Thats the best written post ever!! I’m so jealous : ^ }! You hit it on the head with a sledgehammer!!! My hat is off to you.
This quote ” I see Brownstoner as a laughable example of the worst excesses of dumb-ass gentrification” is the money shot! I can’t believe white people would overpay to live in the ghetto. This is the psychology on a Mutant Asset Bubble. People believe they shit don’t stink and will do dumb-assed things to prove it! I hope the upcoming depression (there will be one) don’t drag down the neighborhood when the ASSHATS leave.
The What (This Blogs sucks cock and balls)
Someday this war is gonna end…
Hey Brownstoner fix this fucking site!
4:47 Is absolutely right. I see Brownstoner as a laughable example of the worst excesses of dumb-ass gentrification: mindless racism, would-be elitism, ultimately self-destructive greed, mediocrity, (extremely thin) cultural pretensions, etc., etc. NYC is so over–and anybody paying 2 or 3 million dollars to be an anxious, irritable white “dave in bed stuy” is just a silly fool. Oh, how great to be an anxious, irritable, nervous white landlord in what is basically the ghetto you DESERVE, as opposed to the neo-Slope you hoped for!!!!
There’s nothing very special about “Brownstone Brooklyn.” It’s basically a series of mini- suburbs surrounded by oceans of ghettoes. There’s very little real interaction between ethnic groups, except in token ways or among rare individuals/groups, and it’s too-often fleeting. These trendy “nabes” were created via ethnic and class cleansing, and these were not/are not victimless crimes. Park Slope, Cobble Hill, and similar places have been subject to redlining and other violations of the fair housing act–and Corcoran’s been caught doing it–you can look it up–
NYC is the most segregated big city in America–you can look that up too–and Brownstoner reflects this “circle the wagons” mentality, as does an even more offensive website, Brooklynian/The Daily Heights. As an academic, I plan to use both these site and Brooklynian as paramount examples of this drecky new hyper-racist crap posing as some sort of “kultur.” These “lifestyles” are just dreck. OK, rehab a Brownstone. Yay. It’s all very Weimar. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, jerk.
4:47 writes….”The market has tanked, and nobody (including Brownstoner) is claiming a 2 to 3 million dollar brownstone is a good value”
Define” tanked”.
“Nobody…is claiming a 2 to 3 million dollar brownstone is a good value” Oh really? Just because you can’t afford it doesn’t mean its not a good value to someone else.
Brownstoner traffic has dropped because this site is a more or less imperfect barometer of the local market. When our housing was at its most inflated, traffic to this site peaked. Those who thought they had chosen smartly by investing in overpriced garbage, for flip or otherwise, were assured by Brownstoner and others doing the same that their investments were genius. Let’s not forget that Brownstoner would, without qualification, puff every single piece of overpriced brick and mortar as a steal. We now know better. The market has tanked, and nobody (including Brownstoner) is claiming a 2 to 3 million dollar brownstone is a good value. Not surprisingly, interest in this site has dropped precipitously.
The conclusion is obvious: let’s call it a day. Brownstoner, shut this site down and give it a rest. We are all a little depressed, we don’t need this anymore.
Scammer Erber writes better than TheWhat.