Internet Real Estate Scam Update
I posted New Internet/ Real Estate Scam in February after a REALTOR(R) friend informed me that several of her listings had been “stolen” and posted on Craig’s List by a man in Nigeria. After doing some more research and talking to other REALTORS(R) across the state, it appears that this scam is very widespread. It also appears that some consumers are still falling for it. Well, this scam hit closer to home for me last week when my husband was notified by a phone call that a woman had been in contact with a man named Micheal Richie to rent out one of our personal homes! Just a few days later I received an email from a consumer on Trulia asking me about this same home and if a man named Micheal Richie owned it. My husband and I explained to both consumers that we, in fact, owned the home and asked where they had come into contact with Michael Richie. They both sent us an email correspondence chain resulting from their rental home search on Craig’s List. (You may be asking why I wasn’t checking my own listings on Craig’s List since I reported on this scam. Well, I was. And so was my husband. Michael Richie’s posting of our home slipped by both of us). Both consumers agreed to help in any way that they could to gather more information on Michael Richie in hopes of stopping this type of scam. (Luckily, neither consumer sent Mr. Richie any money).
I decided to do more own digging into Michael Richie, more to annoy him than anything, but also to see how much information I could gather and how far this man was willing to go to earn $1400. Yes, all this for $1400. But, if you multiply $1400 by 100 consumers duped into sending money to Nigeria, he would make $140,000 and I guess that could be worth it. Here’s my email chain with Michael Richie regarding the property that I own that he has on Craig’s List to rent:
I am interested in renting this home. My friend sent me your contact information. Can you please send me more information.
Thanks!
Sarah Kelso
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Hello Dear,
Thanks for the email. My wife and I own the house and also want you to know that it was due to my research program to ( West Africa , Nigeria )for the crude oil research that makes us to leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person and Godfearing person who can take very good care of the house in my absence.we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean all the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own.
So for now, We are in West Africa and will be staying here for the next 1 1/2 years in our new house and also with the document of the house for rent, we try to look for another Realtor that we can give this documents before we left but could not find, and we as well do not want our house to be used any how in our absence that is why we took it along with us We came over to Africa for a Research program on crude oil, so i hope you will promise us that you will take very good care of the house.
So get back to me if you know you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in renting home.Hope you are okay with the price of $900 per month and the security Deposit is $500.Get back to me for the rental application…You can go and view the house.
Here is the Address bellow: Somewhere, Fredericksburg VA
Pets Allowed
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Thank you for your response. I would like to view the property before I make a decision. Can you get someone to show me the property sometime this week? I can make myself available. I need a house asap. My last rental home was foreclosed on and I was given very little notice that I needed to vacate. I need to know that you are current on your mortgage and will ensure that my year lease will be for a year. What sort of credit checks and references do you need? I take very good care of the homes I live in. I do not have any pets, so there will be no worries of pet damage.
Thanks!
Sarah Kelso
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Hello Sarah,
Its nice getting back so quickly,I am sorry to say there is no one available to show you the house only if you can go yourself and have a look at it.
Before we left,we tried to get a Realtor as said in my last email,but we were unsuccessful about that,kindly get back to me when you have seen the house so i can guide on how to proceed.
Regards
Micheal
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How can I see the house if I can’t get inside it? I would like to see the condition of the inside of the house. I’ve already seen the outside of the house. I’m not quite sure why you don’t have someone here or a representative here that can show me the inside of the house. You keep mentioning a Realtor. I don’t care if you have a Realtor or not; I just need to find a house to move into quickly.
Thank you!
Sarah Kelso
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Hello,
Well,i am sorry to say it will be kind of hard to get inside because its locked.You can only look through the windows and the surrounding.Since you wish to move in quickly,i can assure the shipment will take 24hours once the payment is confirmed.
I do wish you understand anyway.
Micheal
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Okay. So I’m gonna send you money and have no promise of keys? If I decide to send you money where would I be sending it to?
Thanks!
Sarah Kelso
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Hello Sarah,
You can have my words about the shipment of the keys once the payment is confirmed.I am assuring you it will only take 24hours for the shippment,Ill be shipping via Fedex.
You will be sending the money directly to me ;
Name: Micheal Richie
Address: 23 Plank avenue
City: Lagos
Zipcode: 23401
Country: Nigeria
Kindly get back to me with your next step.
Micheal
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FedEx prohibits me from shipping money to Nigeria. It says so on their website. I would feel more comfortable wiring the money. That would also be faster. Also, FedEx says that all packages must clear customs before entering or leaving the country. How would I get the key in 24 hours?
I was able to gain entrance into the property yesterday. The neighbor knew where the key was. They were very nice. They had no idea you guys were renting the place out. Does the couch and dining room table stay? Knowing that the neighbors are so helpful and honest makes me feel better about my move.
Please send me wiring instructions and I will send the money by tomorrow.
Thanks!
Sarah Kelso
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I’m now waiting to get wiring instructions from Micheal Richie. My hope is that he will be stupid enough to actually give me bank information, which may help authorities track him down… or maybe Dateline. Dateline tracked down the “inheritance” scammers in Nigeria.
Here’s some keys to remember about this type of internet scam:
1. If you have a house on the market as a rental or for sale, google the address or have your REALTOR(R) google the address at least once a week.
2. Check Craig’s List for your listing. This works best if you haven’t told your REALTOR(R) to post your listing on Craig’s List. (I will not post my client’s listings on Craig’s List)
3. Don’t rent anything you can’t see in person.
4. Don’t send anyone money in Nigeria!
5. Most rental properties are managed or at least rented out by a local representative.
6. Check tax records at the local courthouse to be sure the person saying they own the property, actually owns the property.
7. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. The property that Michael Richie stole from me should rent for around $1200-$1300, not $900. A security deposit in my area is at least one month’s rent and at most two month’s rent. There is always a pet deposit!
Tags: internet, nigeria, Real Estate, scam
Interesting to see it unfold in “real-time”.
It’s amazing how far this could go! I hate to think someone could be scammed like this, and strange as it sounds I’m kind of glad that your own home was involved so that you could share this and save someone else the hurt. Thank you, Sarah!
Great tips! I would also Google the address on a routine basis…
Jeremy – I just keep waiting for the guy to stop responding to me!
Sarah – It is amazing how far they will go to get so little money per scam. I’m actually happy I’ve been able to see this scam in action from this angle. It makes the blog post that much more informative!
Matthew – that’s tip #1!
Sarah, I am so sorry to hear you go through this. However you are doing good in trying to find the scammer. I wish you the best of luck, and if you need a third party let me know. I my self and a friend have been able to get these guys to send us information.
Also, I would like to post this to my website as a warning to others.
Best
Rocky
How frightening! I had a similar incident several years back when I tried to sell a van on craigslist. The best advice, and craigslist posts it on every page, is to deal locally. Its hard for someone in Nigeria to be “local” to Fredericksburg. Glad you cottoned to it and I hope they catch the guy.
Sarah – Terrific job in tracking this and letting others know — consumers, real estate agents, authorities. Let’s hope this type of thing doesn’t absorb much more of your time — or anyone’s money, ever. Good luck!
I realy like that the dining room table and couch conveyed! Will be interesting to see the outcome.
at least somebody contacted you through Trulia.
Sarah,
Apparently this is happening a lot. We run a retail Lease Option program and have about 100 homes optioned in our program at any time. About two months ago, we found out that someone from Nigeria was posting our homes and pretending to be my husband. Like in your situation, he posted the homes for far less than what they actually went for. He also went so far as to talk about our kids. (although he had their gender wrong)
Believe it or not, he went so hard to get my husbands name @yahoo.com as an email he used when corresponding with clients.
When we found out about it (from two clients he had been in contact with) we immediately sent an email to our 2,000+ buyers list. Fortunately we did, because someone that was on it was set to send funds to the guy.
We called the FBI and they tried to catch the guy but nothing came of it.
Sad to think it is happening more than we think.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I am sharing a link to this on my blog to warn others.