Fortunately, I haven't been scammed, but was close to be. So I decided to report these abusers and hopefully try to help other people not to get scammed by these people.
They post ads on search engines that are renting flats, with very attractive prices, in great locations with very nice pictures. With a bitof common sense, something already smells fishy, like it's too good to be true. I e-mailed them anyway just for the sake of it. When they reply, they come with these messages that they are abroad and need to use TNT services to hand me the keys... Something like this:
"Hello,
I want to inform you that TNT will hold the money until you will confirm to them that you like the apt and keep the keys. If you don't like it, you only have to return the keys to them after they will refund the money to you and they will deliver the keys back to me on my expense.
I will need to inform you the steps about how this service works and how we can make it happen. You will only have to deposit to TNT Service for 2 months of rent - 800eur - so they can proceed with the shipping, and you can receive the keys and the contract.
Like I said, I will pay for a 2 days delivery so you will receive the Keys and the contract signed by me right away. I will explain to you step by step how this will work:
1 - To start this transaction i will need to know your full shipping information, full name, full shipping address to proceed with this deal.
2 - I go to te TNT Office and leave the Keys and the contract in your name as the intended receiver.
3 - TNT will check the envelope to see if everything is OK with it and also the legal papers that will come along with the Keys.
4 - TNT will send you a delivery notification to let you know they have the Keys and the papers in their custody, in which you will be told that they have the Keys and that they checked it.
5 - At this point you will have to go to a WesternUnion Agent Location and make a money transfer deposit on the TNT agent name assigned with this transaction for the amount we agreed, the total amount you shall deposit is for 2 months of rent.
6 - After you make the deposit you will have to send the infos about the money deposit to TNT (Reference Number, sender's name and address)
7 - TNT will verify the payment informations and if everything is in order they will deliver the Keys and the contract to you.
8 - After you receive the package, You will go and check the apt and in 2 days you must contact them and tell them if you keep the apt or not, if everything is in order you will instruct TNT to release the funds to me.
If you don't like the apt they will send your money back and you will send them the keys and the contract to them to return the package back to me on my expense. I will pay TNT Service for the shipping and you will pay WesternUnion for the Money Transfer fees.
Now i must know for sure if you agree because here are a lot of peoples interested to have this apartment rented and i want to know for sure what i must tell them. If you agree what i suggested i will tell them that my apartment is already rented and i will keep it for you. If you agree then i must have all the shipping details so i will be able to make all the arrangements for the TNT delivery.
Thanks."
All emails are more or less like this. I tried to find their email addresses on the web and couldnt find any information, so it sounded very dodgy to me. Then I came to this website and found that someone else had filed a report about this already as well, and as a sign of appreciation, I wanted to post another report in case I could help other people too.
Remember, if it's too good to be true, check it out first! Most likely it's a scam.
Best of luck!
Anonymous
Barcelona
Spain
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