In looking for an apartment, every response received was fraudulent. Here is an example:

Hello XXXX,

Have you rented a furnished apartment before? I am renting out my apartment and it is a single living room and a single bedroom, is this what you are looking for? The bathroom and the kitchen are new and very clean and updated. My bed is a family size and the electronics and utilities as water, electricity, internet and heating are included in the rent of 500 Euros.

I am a Chef and so I love a clean and well kept home. I need a tenant that can keep my apartment clean and safe. I will be away for 2 years, I am cooking for an X-minister here in Lekki, Lagos and he needs me to do this for him for another 2 years. I was trying to get a new job as a Chef in Basle I have no friends there so I had to look for a tenant all by myself now that I am away.

My apartment address is Missionsstrasse 21, 4055 Basle, Switzerland. It is close to the metro and it is in a very good location where you can easily go anywhere. I have attached photos.

Can you tell me about your occupation? What will you be doing when in my apartment? Will you be alone or will someone else be with you? I have valued paintings and I need them to be exactly the way I left them on the walls. I really don’t know how urgently you need the apartment but I have the keys here with me.

If we are signing an agreement for 5 months and above you will pay the first 2 months rent upfront before you move in. If we are signing an agreement for 4 months and below you will pay 1 month rent upfront before you move in. but first we must sign my rental agreement as a sign of understanding and agreement with terms and conditions.

If you are not fine with my terms you will have to look for another apartment. You don’t know how important my apartment is to me. The photos cannot show all the beauty of it. From the living room to the bedroom and to the kitchen and bathroom everything is just new and perfect. But if you know you can take good care of the apartment and treat it like it belongs to you let me know and I will get back to you.

Melanie
+234 816-386-1753

Clue 1: Craigslist
Clue 2: Crazy phone number
Clue 3: Euros in Switzerland
Clue 4: Near a metro station in Basle (sic)

etc

I usually stop at (1). Is Craigslist actually of any value at all outside of America?

Fixed that for you.

You make a very good point here. Had thought similarly a few weeks back ie that it was a total waste of time anywhere else other than perhaps in the good ole US of A.

Your "fix" assumes fraud of this nature is the exclusive domain of Nigerians. I think not . . .

Err, no. It doesn't. His understanding of conditional probabilty is correct

Your misunderstanding of said conditional probability is also nicely explained here

My first response still stands but thanks anywayZ

So you're saying it's not a nigerian number?

The country code is now that I check ... Bully for you.

Bully for you too

Ah! I got hit by the same scam! I actually emailed all the listings on craigslist Basel, and ALL OF THEM are fraudulent (just so you know). The thing about the one from "Melanie Esau" is that she admits she's living in Nigeria, so the Nigerian telephone number doesn't seem preposterous. Where it becomes sketch is when she also requests that you send her money so she can send you keys... The one from wkj38 is also a scam... as is the one offered by stevenstyroneharry2@hotmail.co.uk.

This person has a comprehensive listing of all the scammers, their names, emails, and fake numbers...
http://chicaneryconsscams.blogspot.c...6_archive.html

Quick Google check of the number brings up this as well....

http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/vie...=14628&p=43909

An easy check when you are unsure....although were you really unsure here?

What's amazing here is people are continually suckered in to such advertisments which are patently fraudulent as the rental is less than half of any possible market value.

It takes 5 minutes and a very amateur search of Gogle to determine market value.

If you decide to pursue such deals, you get what you deserve !

I actually got a good deal from these guys... The "Flat-(pack)" IS near the metro... The only problem is... when the trains come by, the box keeps blowing around.... But they did supply me with a couple of rolls of Duct Tape to keep things nice and tidy....

Absolute rubbish. There is always a "reason why" the flats are cheap. When I moved here I shared a flat and paid less than a quarter of the total rent for half the flat which meant I could live in a luxury flat for not a lot. Also, I paid in USD because the guy was American. He was also a nutcase, so that made it a bad deal but you only find out about these things afterwards.

A metro in Basel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know! A town with three houses and a donkey needing a metro!

Exactly, but the way this flat was described, where was the reason ?

I have to admit that I had to look up what preposterous means. "A Swiss living in the single country known for extensive online scams looking to rent out a very cheap apartment in Switzerland giving the wrong currency and information on the place" seems to fit the term quite well... and I do not even mention:
- uses English instead of any local language
- uses an US website instead of any local one...

This scam is so obvious and absurd that I wonder how anyone could possibly end up sending some money to Nigeria prpbably via Western Union and seriously hopes to get some house keys in the mail.