friend scammed for an apartment.. what to do? help plz.. urgently..
 

OK so my friend in the states got an apartment from craigslist..

she paid the woman cash for the month, drew up a contract with her license/ids/etc...

Shes supposed to move in tomorrow, the owner of the apartment just called and said sorry you cant move in because my mom has issues with me renting it out..

I've already spent your money on wedding gifts for friends, so i'll hopefully give you money back in two weeks or so...

The amount was $1,200

What options does my friend have? im pissed off as well at such a blatant scam, but i dont know if she has any options...fucking craigslist fuckers...

shes thinking she just moves in tomorrow.. she has the keys to the place anyway..

1. Seek advice from professional legal counsel beyond GFY.
2. Sue them in small claims court. Get judgement. Garnish their wages. If they default, fuck their credit for 7 years.
3. Cry in your beer.

:2 cents:

Tell them you have a contract and you're moving in regardless unless you get your money back immediately.

I'd go with 1.

Or 4) Go to their house with 2 big dudes, the papers and they keys - demand the money back or that they come and pawn something so they can pay.

But 1 is probably best ;)

retainer for a lawyer costs more than $1,200.. hehe

small claims court is not a very good option...

4. Purchase a baseball bat, and ski mask. Maybe bring a friend.

:2 cents:

A crime was just committed make a police report then sue for as much as possible in small claims court. No way should he move in and have a conflict from the start.

That'd be 5. :pimp

a contract is a contract. you have to be aggressive. you will get your money back but to save time in court you should push them. did you (or she) view the apartment in person?

:pimp:pimp:pimp I like option 4

This is a very common scam going around right now. It sucks having to deal with dirtbags

. There was a woman doing this where I live, I think she got 20 or so people to pay for the same apartment.

yes she did, and even got keys..

she just sent me a copy of the contract they drew out on paper.. she also has passport/id of the owner of the apartment...

im pissed beyond belief.. why would you do this to someone... ffs

Watch Out For This Scam When Looking For Apartments On Craigslist

"Repurposing Craigslist ads to dupe would-be renters into forking over cash is one of the oldest scams in the book. But people still fall for it left and right, and in the era of Google Maps and GPS, it pays to be on guard.
How it works

Using an actual Craigslist ad for a rental property, the crook creates a duplicate with a new email that matches up with the name or address of the property to make it seem more legitimate, says Robert Siciliano, identity theft expert with McAfee.

The asking price is lowered to give the con more appeal, and anyone taking the bait is asked to wire money ASAP because the landlord or owner is out of town. Victims are also told that they can't view the place, but rest assured that they'll be refunded if there's any issue.

What renters should know

Renters should go by the mantra, "If it's too good to be true, it is," Siciliano warns. "Whenever the landlord says they're out of the country, that's a red flag it's a scam. No matter how they play it, no one's gone." Also: No savvy renter should even think about paying for a place they haven't seen and found to their liking.

You've also got to do your homework. Check the seller out, ask to see a valid, state-issued ID, view the deed to the place and get as much information as you can, even if it's a tad bit annoying, Siciliano says. "You can't be too trusting when you're handing someone a check for $3,000."

Also be mindful of swapping any personally identifiable information over email and block out your social security number on documentation when possible. Never, ever email your SSN, and if you do give your SSN on an application and they don't rent to you, go over to their place and get the application back and shred it.

Another helpful trick is to research the ad itself. Plug some of the body of the ad into Craigslist or perform a simple Google search to see if the same ad pops up on different sites and/or with different info. "If that happens, it is definitely a tip-off," says Siciliano before adding that crooks make little effort to change the ad, aside from switching around the email or phone number. "(The ads are) pretty much boilerplate; crooks change the ad content, contacts and price. It's the least amount of labor with the most possible return."
Homeowners should be on guard too

As a homeowner posting a rental ad online, you should do just as much, if not more, of the homework outlined above. Ask to see the prospective renter's valid ID, wait for checks to clear way past when they should, and contact your bank to ensure it went through.

Finally, when asked to share social media profiles, keep in mind what information you're making them privy to. You always want to limit whatever you're revealing about yourself, so with these transactions, it's best to meet in person. "


http://articles.businessinsider.com/...#ixzz2KW4haCvZ

Thanks porn, but they did see the apartment in person... they got a contract with the person's passport + ID (License)

And they didnt wire any money... They gave her cash.. They also got keys to the place..

find out where her wedding is and show up.

Major mistake. Did they get a written receipt for the cash?

.

ya i would get involved if i were you to help your friend, and tell this woman straight up, we have a contract, and i will be moving in. If this womans mother doesnt approve, that isnt your problem, thats her problem and she would need to tell her mother that its already a done deal. Court is a pain in the ass and a long process. I would move to the apartment, and if theres one more problem with these people then take it to court, and get all fees back including moving fees

Another CL success story

Never move in under duress. As a landlord I could find ways to harass and find violations of a basic rental agreement almost everyday.


.

No, but the contract mentions the money and what its for..

but if you win in court, they have to pay all your expenses

thats true. i just assumed there wasnt a detailed lease. you cant be removes or harassed without written rules

This won't help because the contract is not valid (because the apartment doesn't belong to that person and they had no legal power signing the contract).

ok she called the chic, and said im moving in tomorrow regardless, and now she says shes gonna call her mom..

Your best bet would be to contact Tony Montana and ask for advice.

that's more likely than not is what happened, you are shit out of luck probably...:2 cents:

If your friend was packing a firearm..this type of thing would've been avoided

If a lease was signed she can just move in regardless. The landlord will then have to evict her which is a pain and will take at least (at least) 30 days.

if your an idiot :1orglaugh sure

The OP didnt make it clear who actually owned it, but if the mother owns it then I would threaten to have the mother dragged into it. Make them think you're going to have their mother arrested and they may work a little harder to get the money back.

call the cops

:pimp:1orglaugh

This. Moving in sounds great but you are in for a world of BS so why bother?

Tell your friend to show up with the contract. When the woman does not let your friend move in, have your friend call the police. They will show up and then bare minimum, provide guidance. This woman cannot simply ditch your friend like that, especially when it comes to matters of a home.

Is your friend in California? California is very tenant friendly.

I would go file a police report ASAP, contact an attorney for console...don't hire him yet. If they don't refund her money in 2 weeks, threaten legal action. Make sure you find out what car she is driving, take down her plate number, take a picture of her, you can post her photo everywhere in town as a scammer.

I would tell her I am having some friends pick up the money in two weeks, oh and by the way my friends just got out of jail for murder. :1orglaugh

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nos_ep211b.jpg

If she has a receipt for the payment ... Contact the police and file a small claims case. You don't need a lawyer for under 5k. Then ask a policeman to accompany her to move in. Video the results.

Never pay with cash to an unknown.

get a gun
...
profit

give them 48 hours to return the money or burn the place to the ground

Not sure what state they are in, but if you have a contract and have the keys you have legal possession. My wife managed 600+ apartments for 6 years.

Now if he rented it out and he did not own it, i.e his mother did then he just committed fraud and should be arrested by the police.

Best case call the police.