|
Here is another SCAM from New York.
This was the property description posted on the vacation rentals portal:
"Only steps to the Park and stunning views makes this a rare find. The Magnificent Central Park and city skyline views are seen from the Master Suite, Living Room, Dining Room and Eat-in-Kitchen. Two year renovation done by renowned designer Joanna Pottier of Beverly Hills. State-of-art Crestron system throughout. Everything top of the line. There are 4 bedrooms, 4.5 Baths. Wood panelled library with gas fireplace. Kitchen and baths done by Clive Christian. 2 sub-zero refrigerators and 4 freezers. Viking wine cooler. 6 burner range and 2 wall ovens. Plate & bun warmer. Laundry room and large safe. You are within walking distance to Time Warner shopping mall, Theatres, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Bus stops just around the corner. centrally located with easy access to any part of town. you are full self sufficient here."
Thankfully a user reported the following to us:
"Hello, I have been making arrangements with the owner of this property, to book it. He has been very cordial and helpful. However, when he sent the booking form, he requested that I send my payment via Moneygram or Western Union. I immediately, replied that I would not, and suggested other payment options. After 2 days I did hear back from him, he stated that this is his method of payment( he had other methods on his listing), and also included an email address for a referral. I sent an inquiry to the referral, and got a response from them, which to me seemed somewhat generic(saying all the right things, but not nessesarily reassurring). I also had asked the owner for a phone #, so I may speak with him directly, I have yet to hear back from him.
This unfortunately is the second rental property that I have tried to make arrangements with(the first was from another website) and encountered this same response and activity. I did a little online research on the information that I had on the owners, i.e. address to send wire transfer, and or fax#. In both cases, I could not locate the individual at address they had given and both where traced back to Seattle, Wa. This is curious, because both gave me their addresses as living in New York. I suspect this could be part of a bigger scam.
Thankfully, I am a cautious consumer and did not proceed with payment. I felt it necessary that you are aware, and can prevent others from being duped. Of course, I would love to believe that this is a legitimate property rental, just too many red flags for me to feel secure in the transaction.
Please feel free to contact me, if you have any questions. I did save all of my email correspondence. Too, if you find that this is in fact a legitimate listing, I would like to know as well. Thank you for your time, and would appreciate any further information you may have. "
Western uniun offers a great service, unfortunately it is too often misused for fraudulent transactions.
So - please don't send money with Western union to people you don't trust!
|
