Rental scam - if it's too good to be true beware!
The following properties are listed on several popular websites utilized for viewing available apartments or vacation rentals: 1 Ecker Place #403 San Francisco, CA
1700 W Oceanfront 1A Newport Beach, CA
properties in Waikiki
AKA Donald Hull is posing as a leasing agent in Newport Beach and AKA Leandro Collado is doing the same in San Francisco. Contact is via internet or pre-paid cell phones. Prospective clients are asked to wire moneys to McCoy Federal Credit Union in Orlando, FL in Mr. Collado's name. The moneys are to secure the unit and a non-binding leasing agreement is emailed to the consumer until the existing tenant moves out usually in 1-10 days. The funds are refundable if you decide not to rent after you "view" the unit.
Properties are priced below the average rentals in the area and will allow both pets and smoking. Prospective tenants are only able to "view" pictures on rental websites. There are no rental signs on the properties and the addresses are not always accurate.
Initially, emails are professionally written (templates). Eventually, when you start asking questions, the literacy of the emails deteriorates.
If anyone is a victim of these con-artists, contact McCoy FCU or the institution to which you wired funds, report the wire as a "scam/fraud" and request a refund from there Risk Management Department.
Written by a scammed consumer
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