House Rental Scamming

sofabed · January 2013

Hello po, magpapatulong po sana kung paano macheck kung nag eexist nga talaga itong taong ito: Carson Ludwig. Possible po na na-scam kami ng taong ito by paying him $600 (via Western Union) for rent on his apartment: http://flatmates.com.au/property.html?id=134124. Though he provided us with Australian passport and land title, skeptical ako sa kanya kasi ngayon nanghihingi na naman siya ng deposit. Btw, my sister and I will be moving to Sydney by Jan. 24.

Thank you po!

kenkoy · January 2013

how about trying to make another inquiry? pretend u are another person or maybe ask a friend to do it for u para iba ang IP address at ang style of writing. from his response to another inquiry pwede mo malaman na scam nga sya.

LakiMasel · January 2013

Maki-singit lang po. May deposit po ba palagi pag mag rent sa Oz?

spykes78 · January 2013

@sofabed - unfortunately looks like you have been scammed as the apartment is the same as the one listed here and is for lease for $650 http://www.rwunlimited.com.au/pol/property/search.asp?f_propertyID=1872724&xsl=4943

There is no way rent is $150/week for a fully furnished 1-bedroom apartment in Surry Hills.

Nadine · January 2013

Hello @sofabed: makikisali na rin po ako ha.... Sa pagkakaalam ko, in renting a place, you will have to apply to rent before you are allowed to do so. Before you can even apply, you have to inspect the apartment itself. Hindi yata pumapayag ang mga legitimate real estate agents that you will apply to rent without looking at the place first. Most agents do not conduct transactions online or via phone. I've tried applying na din po eh. Gusto ko rin sana may place na pag dating ko. Pero they always tell me to view the place muna. Ibig sabihin they don't entertain offshore applications. I would also be wary of those using personal email for business transactions (like what this guy did).

If your application to rent is approved, then contract signing na. Alam ko may Complex by law, application for residential tenacy, and Lease agreement na pinipirmahan. Generally, you are required to pay bond rental (equivalent to one month rent) + 2 weeks' advance rent. You should have receipts for all these. Also, yung bond rental has to be submitted by the agent/owner to the bond authority in the state. In fact, it's the tenant's responsibility to check po if the agent/owner has done this. Yung bond money will not be kept by the owner but by the state po. For mutual protection po yan in case of disputes.

So, if you didn't go through any of these, I doubt it's legitimate po eh.

http://www.rta.qld.gov.au/Renting/Moving-in/Rental-bond-deposits-and-utilities/What-is-a-rental-bond

LokiJr · January 2013

Sana po nagpersonal visit kayo. Di naman kamahalan yung hostel while looking for a place to live in dun

aolee · January 2013

Hi po if I may ask sofabed... nag post rin po ba dito sa site natin yang scammer na yan? Let me know po if there is para madelete at wala ng mabitkima.

stolich18 · January 2013

yikes scary naman to. Meron din pala tlgang scammers sa AU! :S

shishi · January 2013

hello, sofabed. naku sana hindi naman kayo nascam. just in case hindi kayo matuloy jan, naghahanap pa kame ni @zigfrid ng makakasama sa bahay pero sa burwood area. let me know if you're interested.

Bryann · January 2013

It must be this guy.

https://twitter.com/CLudwig20
http://pinterest.com/cludwig20/

I'm also thinking, maybe it was him who leased the house.. for $650/week, then is just looking for a flatmate to share the burden of rent with. Could be entirely possible. As for land title, is he saying he owns the place? Coz the link at RayWhite real estate clearly states it is for lease. For the passport, I might be wrong but it is not as easy as in Phils to get a fake passport or any documents.

You can also keep copies of your communication and receipts of deposit. That way when you get here in Australia, if ever he is indeed a scammer, you can communicate with NSW Police.

Looks like he had the same posting before, but later removed it. Availability was December. The one you mentioned is for November.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bGIOfBkZHg8J:flatmates.com.au/property.html?id=133490+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au&client=firefox-a

HTH

LokiJr · January 2013

If he's posting online in places like gumtree you can also report him there, at least people will be wary to deal with him hehe

Sushigurl · January 2013

Can you kindly post the exact ads you've seen?
kasi yung ni post ni spykes78 is from Ray White, legal yung Ray White rto... at yung ofc address is tama naman if you check google maps...
possibleng tunay at possibleng peke... tulad ng sabi nila... ask for the contract....
did you signed anything? the best way to ascertain if legal ba yung transaction nyo is to call their office below. from the link provided by Spykes 78.

Ray White Unlimited
52 Blair Street
North Bondi, NSW 2026
ph: 02 9365 5888
fax: 02 9365 5822
Email our office
[ View on Map ]

Ganito "generally" ang rental s.o.p rto..
Initially, they will ask you to pay a week deposit, that is usually a non refundable deposit.
Once you do, they will pull the ads from the website.
Step 2. pay the balance of the bonds and rental advance, signing of contract could be the last stage together with the turn over of the keys. real estate agent ko kasi Ray White rin, but in a different location.

Sushigurl · January 2013

Sofabed, assumed ko girlalu ka rin... Im also female and mag isa lang ako nag migrate rto...
I understand the difficulty of starting in a new country, and dami kong hirap na pinagdaanan. Awa ng Dyos, e may pailan ilan good samaritan na pinoy at Aussies who gave me advice..Now, im paying it forward... I can assist you to call up Ray White Realty but if peke is CArson i cant chase him for you ha, hindi ako pulis. I'll pm you my email addy. we can chat and you can tell me the whole story and il liaise with them.

zigfrid · January 2013

Muntik na din ako mabiktima sa gumtree din.

Scammer's name: Joan
E-mail address used: [email protected]

***********************************************************************************

Joan
Jan 5 (5 days ago)

to me

--
I will like to rent your room kindly send me the details of the room
cos am ready to pay and moving in asap kindly send me email and pics
asap.

Regard
Joan

************************************************************************************

So nag reply ako sabi ko:

Hi Joan, which property are you looking at renting. Can you please cut and paste the ad so I can tell you the relevant information. Thanks.

************************************************************************************

Pero ewan ko ba bakit ako kinutuban. Di ko naman ugaling mag check ng google kung sino yun may ari ng email pero this time nga kinutuban ako ng parang curious lang ako so, ginoogle ko, kinat and paste ko email address niya eto nakita ko:

Scammer pretends to rent your house - [email protected] ...
www.gumtree.com.au/s...hux619-gmail.../1011986959Scammers like this will typically sms you with a message I will like to rent your room kindly send me the details of the room cos am ready to pay asap send ...

gmail.com | Free Local Classifieds Gumtree Australia
www.gumtree.com.au/s-property-for-rent/gmail.../k0c18364Scammer pretends to rent your house - [email protected]. Scammers like this will typically sms you with a message: "I will like to rent your room kindly send ...

Large ROOM FOR RENT IN NEWTOWN | Flatshare & Houseshare ...
www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/newtown/...for.../1011554857ShareScammer pretends to rent your house - [email protected]. Scammers like this will typically sms you with a message: "I will like to rent your room kindly send ...

**************************************************************************************

Parang puros gumtree ang tinatarget. Tapos so na try ko siya i-block sa gmail pero eto sumagot siya following day:

[email protected]
Jan 6 (4 days ago)

to me
Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me,am a lady willing to rent/share the room
and i am at sea at the moment as i am a Maritime and Coastguard Agency
(MCA) employee in Canada but i got transfer to work and study part
time down there but due to the nature of my work, phone calls making
and visiting of website are restricted. I only squeezed out time to
check this advert and send you an email regarding this. i am ready to
rent it asap so tell me how much is the rent/share per month and how
much deposit do i have to pay. Please send me more period you wish to
rent this out.

Looking forward to read back from you soon
Regards

*******************************************************************************************

So fellow Pinoys, beware of emails from [email protected]

rolf021 · January 2013

Hello po..buti pinansin ko itong post. Papunta po kami sydney and wala kakilala so I am looking at gumtree kasi iyun ang halos nirerecommend na site. Kaso, with this scam..paano po safe and cheap way para makahanap kami ng place to stay in sydney?

LokiJr · January 2013

I guess it pays to visit the place first or ask a friend to refer you to a credible renter

Davidx23 · January 2013

Hmm. Dito sa Brisbane, you need to schedule a visit then fill-out the rent application form na binibigay sau ng property manager pagkatapos ng viewing. Requirement yun na makita mu muna ang property bago ka mag-apply for rent.

Sa mga nagpaparent naman ng propery, it pays na meron kang property manager kasi they have access to a database ng mga renters na hindi nagbabayad or mga black-listed (siguro dahil sa property damages).

LokiJr · January 2013

If you own a property I think enlisting it to sites such as RP Data would also make the ad more credible hehe

Nadine · January 2013

@Davidx23: sir, hello po. Magtatanong po sana. Kumusta po sa Brisbane? I'll be flying in 2 week's time, kasi will start work na. Ask ko lang kung hindi ba mahirap mag rent ng place para sa tulad ko na wala namang rental history pa? I've heard and read namimili din mga agents kung sino patitirahin nila.

Tsaka isa pang question, is it possible to buy car na 2k lang dyan?

(sorry medyo OT to).

Thanks!

LakiMasel · January 2013

Sa mga nakatira or naghahanap po ng rentals, ano po ba yung mga websites na pinupuntahan nyo?

Actually, ang plan ko ay mag hotel (cheap hotels) na lang muna bago maghanap ng rentals.

icebreaker1928 · January 2013

Hello po, magpapatulong po sana kung paano macheck kung nag eexist nga talaga itong taong ito: Carson Ludwig. Possible po na na-scam kami ng taong ito by paying him $600 (via Western Union) for rent on his apartment: http://flatmates.com.au/property.html?id=134124. Though he provided us with Australian passport and land title, skeptical ako sa kanya kasi ngayon nanghihingi na naman siya ng deposit. Btw, my sister and I will be moving to Sydney by Jan. 24.

Thank you po!

kamusta na po kayo mam sofabed?

As far as I know... 99% ng ads dyan sa flatmates.com.au scam...
nagtry din ako dyan dati...
almost 10 ang inemail ko, lahat nanghihingi ng deposit.
red flag agad... tapos nagcheck ako sa site nila..
may mga format ng scam na nakapost.. ayun, ganon na ganon nga.

boss aolee... sana magkaroon tayo ng sticky sa forum gaya nito para mawarn yung iba about this kind of scam.

xtine99 · January 2013

i suggest sa mga newbie who will arrive in sydney, to book an accomodation first via hotels, motels, hostels, b&b, backpackers for 1-3 nights. Then, during that time, arranged viewing first for prospective private accomodations. Make sure you have contacted them before you arrive australia and arranged for a time to view their place. In that case, you will avoid being scam and you will meet the landlady and arranged for a rental lease agreement.

xtine99 · January 2013

Sa mga nakatira or naghahanap po ng rentals, ano po ba yung mga websites na pinupuntahan nyo?

Actually, ang plan ko ay mag hotel (cheap hotels) na lang muna bago maghanap ng rentals.

If you are coming alone in australia, and is tight on budget, you can try backpackers (bed only) or hostels or bed and breakfast with room share. Backpackers can be $25-$50 per bed, hostels can be $30-$50 per night, bed and breakfast ( own room) $30-$50 per night.

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aolee · January 2013

@iceBreaker, no wonder nung may nag post ng FOR RENT na humihingi ng resertvation dati naalala ko tinantong mo kung marunong magtagalog. maiinam pala talga na wag agad agad nagtitiwala sa mga humihingi ng reservation. ingat po tayo.

icebreaker1928 · January 2013

@iceBreaker, no wonder nung may nag post ng FOR RENT na humihingi ng resertvation dati naalala ko tinantong mo kung marunong magtagalog. maiinam pala talga na wag agad agad nagtitiwala sa mga humihingi ng reservation. ingat po tayo.

yes boss... kaya naka red flag agad saken yung nag ads na yun dati.. tapos inaway pako hehe..
nde kasi ganon ang sistema dito... dapat makita mo muna ang unit...
pag nanghingi ng pera agad agad... scam yun 99.9%

rolf021 · January 2013

I see..ganun rin po ba na kailangan mo muna makita kahit iyung room lang ang pinaparent? Like..iyung flatnirerent miya tapos naghahanap siya ng flatmate

icebreaker1928 · January 2013

@rolf021 most probably sir, ganon din dapat ang kalakaran nun...
dapat talaga makita mo muna yung lugar...
what if nung makita mo yung place e 4 pala kayo sa room..
or yung lugar e hindi maganda para sayo...

you can still backout... basta rule of thumb... see the unit first before paying anything.

rolf021 · January 2013

@icebreaker1928 - kaya parang first week sa backpacker lodge para mura and ang gagawin is hanap kaagad ng place to stay.

Aiwink · January 2013

It must be this guy.

https://twitter.com/CLudwig20
http://pinterest.com/cludwig20/

I'm also thinking, maybe it was him who leased the house.. for $650/week, then is just looking for a flatmate to share the burden of rent with. Could be entirely possible. As for land title, is he saying he owns the place? Coz the link at RayWhite real estate clearly states it is for lease. For the passport, I might be wrong but it is not as easy as in Phils to get a fake passport or any documents.

You can also keep copies of your communication and receipts of deposit. That way when you get here in Australia, if ever he is indeed a scammer, you can communicate with NSW Police.

Looks like he had the same posting before, but later removed it. Availability was December. The one you mentioned is for November.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bGIOfBkZHg8J:flatmates.com.au/property.html?id=133490+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au&client=firefox-a

HTH

Woooow!
Parang may sariling logarithm na ikaw sa pag background check ah... Galing!

Saken · January 2013

Nabasa ko ito sa Sydney Morning Herald. Although matagal na yung article, itong-ito yung scam na nidescribe ni @sofabed

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/exposed-sydneys-great-rental-ripoff-20100410-rzsf.html

Tungkol sa rental bonds or deposits, usually sa Department of Fair Trading nakapangalan yun. So magpapagawa ng bank cheque tapos nakaaddress sa DFT. Sa end ng contract na lang ito ibabalik sa iyo pero depende sa assessment ng nagpaparenta kung kelangan bawasan yung amount para sa repairs or damages kung meron man.

Saka alam ko illegal ang magparent by yourself. Dapat dumadaan sa licensed agents.

Mas maganda tumingin sa realstate.com.au or domain.com.au para sa apartments for rent kasi mga agents ang nagaadvertise. Examples ng property agencies dito sa NSW are Ray White, LJ Hooker, Jackson and Rowe, ...

Lastly, try downloading the "Scam Buster" iOS or Android App ng Department of Fair Trading. Malaking tulong din para mainform sa scams dito sa AU. Kung di naman, pwede rin bisitahin website ng DFT.

sofabed · January 2013

@Bryann it is confirmed a scam, di na nag reply sa amin. na report ko na rin sa flatmates. also saw the pictures in twitter but the passport he provided has different pic..