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Good evening members of the forum
I am hoping someone might be able to shed some light on this matter. In short I replied to a gumtree ad for a house to rent direct from the (bogus) landlord. The bogus landlord with a Bulgarian accent over the phone, (cell phone) told me she has had a lot of time wasters viewing the house and would only allow a viewing to applicants who had completed an application form. She emailed the application form to me. I filled it in and sent it back together with copies of my ID and my wife's ID, 3 months bank statements, copy of my Eskom bill, etc.
She called today saying I have being approved for the rental and view can only take place on saturday but that if I want the house I should pay R38 000 into her account, (R38 000 for two months deposit). She also forwarded me a poor excuse of a lease containing a bank account name and account number.
Alarm bells went off in my head and immediately I went down to the police station. The police basically told me there is nothing they can really do about it since she hasn't defrauded me out of any money as yet. (Typical SAPS). I went to the owner of the house next door and was told the house I am meant to rent is in fact a bank repo which is to be auctioned on monday next week and that the woman claiming to be the landlord renting the house out is actually a con who has done the same to many other prospective tenants.
I haven't handed over any money so I am safe in that regard, however whoever this woman is she has all my details, bank account number, bank statements, ID, and utility bills etc. The police are basically useless and to lazy to investigate but my main concern is that this person/s has all my private documentation and could clone my identity our attach debt orders to my bank account etc. So I am hoping some of the members will come forward with some advice on how I can prevent identity fraud, what steps I should take, who I should contact etc?
Many thanks in advance for any advice that could help my situation.
Regards
Clayton Miller
I am hoping someone might be able to shed some light on this matter. In short I replied to a gumtree ad for a house to rent direct from the (bogus) landlord. The bogus landlord with a Bulgarian accent over the phone, (cell phone) told me she has had a lot of time wasters viewing the house and would only allow a viewing to applicants who had completed an application form. She emailed the application form to me. I filled it in and sent it back together with copies of my ID and my wife's ID, 3 months bank statements, copy of my Eskom bill, etc.
She called today saying I have being approved for the rental and view can only take place on saturday but that if I want the house I should pay R38 000 into her account, (R38 000 for two months deposit). She also forwarded me a poor excuse of a lease containing a bank account name and account number.
Alarm bells went off in my head and immediately I went down to the police station. The police basically told me there is nothing they can really do about it since she hasn't defrauded me out of any money as yet. (Typical SAPS). I went to the owner of the house next door and was told the house I am meant to rent is in fact a bank repo which is to be auctioned on monday next week and that the woman claiming to be the landlord renting the house out is actually a con who has done the same to many other prospective tenants.
I haven't handed over any money so I am safe in that regard, however whoever this woman is she has all my details, bank account number, bank statements, ID, and utility bills etc. The police are basically useless and to lazy to investigate but my main concern is that this person/s has all my private documentation and could clone my identity our attach debt orders to my bank account etc. So I am hoping some of the members will come forward with some advice on how I can prevent identity fraud, what steps I should take, who I should contact etc?
Many thanks in advance for any advice that could help my situation.
Regards
Clayton Miller
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