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Thread: Bogus landlord identity fraud advice please

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    Bogus landlord identity fraud advice please

    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

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    Gold Member Houses4Rent's Avatar
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    Maybe ask her to meet you (at her place) to give her the cash. When there call her bluff and demand your document back and hope that she has not scanned them yet. Or tell her you changed your mind and found something else and need your docs back to ally for the other place. Worth a try.
    Houses4Rent
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    Transfer R5 - then open a case of fraud

    I also had something like this where it would be extremely easy to mount a "sting" operation - police not interested. At the time ( around 5 years ago) they could only give me a detective cell phone number for cyber crime - that was for the whole of SA.

    I can get why this would be interrupting your sleep but do remember how often we send out ids, POR, statments - all the time - in a couple of months some of these will also become "old". but place a warning add in gumtree - at least make people aware of this person and this type of con

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    Gold Member Houses4Rent's Avatar
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    And report the ad to Gumtree - see bottom right on the page.
    Houses4Rent
    "We treat your investment as we treat our own"
    marc@houses4rent.co.za www.houses4rent.co.za
    083-3115551
    Global Residential Property Investor / Specialized Letting Agent & Property Manager

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    As well as naming her here with her Bankers full details incl. account number and your first mail e-mailed to her bank (particular branch). Am sure they will check the activity in her account and perhaps blacklist somehow.

    I do have a sense that this account would not be more than a few months old

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    Gold Member Houses4Rent's Avatar
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    I doubt it Flaker. I once lost out on a holiday booking scam and took it further. Turned out it was a cell banking account. Neither the bank nor MTN was interested. FICA, RICA etc all a waste of time.
    Houses4Rent
    "We treat your investment as we treat our own"
    marc@houses4rent.co.za www.houses4rent.co.za
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    Global Residential Property Investor / Specialized Letting Agent & Property Manager

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    Platinum Member sterne.law@gmail.com's Avatar
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    The SAPS are being lazy or stupid.
    Fraud does not require actual harm.
    There must be intentional misrepresentation that has the POTENTIAL to cause harm (loss)
    Anthony Sterne

    www.acumenholdings.co.za
    DISCLAIMER The above is merely a comment in discussion form and an open public arena. It does not constitute a legal opinion or professional advice in any manner or form.

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    Citizen X (15-Jun-15)

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    Platinum Member pmbguy's Avatar
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    Perhaps try the crime prevention unit, they may be more geared to this kind of thing
    It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. – Charles Darwin

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    Platinum Member pmbguy's Avatar
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    A joke of course, sorry
    It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. – Charles Darwin

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    Full Member lewskannen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clayton Miller View Post
    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
    Clayton, the problem with police stations are that most of the officers working there are uneducated and will not be able to assist you.

    I would suggest you contact the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Unit at 011 870 5300 and report the incident to them. They are better equipped dealing with this.

    These renting scams are a big problem for them. I was involved in a similar case about 10 years ago in Randburg where a woman was arrested after scamming a lot of victims in this scam.

  13. Thank given for this post:

    Dave A (16-Jun-15), polpak (02-Jul-15)

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