‘African rental scam’ entices, doesn’t fool
Victor woman nearly falls prey to scam found on Craigslist to bilk her out of hundreds.
By Cara Froedge, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
February 25, 2009
Thirteen days ago, Sharla Mullin thought she found the perfect rental on Craigslist.
For $700 a month, she and her boyfriend would get a one-bedroom, one-bathroom, 2,406-square-foot apartment located on North Millward Street. Dogs and cats were allowed. And it was so close to the Town Square that the Victor, Idaho, residents could walk anywhere.
“We are looking for a responsible person or family to occupy and maintain the apartment until we are back home,” wrote the person who proclaimed to be the owner, Ezekiel Linsey, in an e-mail. “Myself and wife just traveled to Africa for a program called Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education, the program is taking place in three major countries in Africa which are Rep. of Benin, South Africa and Nigeria.”
Just wire a deposit, and the place is yours, the Craigslist post read.
“Linsey” even sent pictures, showing granite kitchen countertops, a cozy blue bedroom and an idyllic shady tree on the banks of Flat Creek.
Mullin almost took the bait until a friend told her to Google “African rental scam.” Turns out, the rental that Mullin found on Craigslist was part of a scam to bilk the 24-year-old woman out of $700. The e-mail was a form letter she found on several sites online.
She didn’t think properties on Craigslist would be phony. After all, Mullin found her present house in Victor on the Internet site last year.
Eight days ago, Mullin again found what she thought was the perfect rental on Craigslist.
Located in Alpine, it was just $870 a month with a $400 security deposit.
It was advertised as a three-bedroom “fabulous” single-family home built in 2005, situated on 1.54 acres of horse-friendly property.
“PLEASE NOTE THAT i am renting this house out due to the lost of my Husband because staying alone with a Kid in our house without any of my family with me, i dont think i can be ok as a (Widow) so i have moved down to west africa (Nigeria) where family is and that was the reason why i am giving our house out for rent till i come back to the states and i shall be back to the states by next year November 2009 because i want to stay long with my family so that i can forget my late Husband,” wrote the purported owner, Shantal Petersen, in an e-mail.
Mullin drove to Alpine and found the property didn’t exist. Another scam.
Just days ago, Sharla Mullin thought she finally found a perfect property, a home in Rafter J for $1,000 a month.
This time, she drove to the address before sending an e-mail to the lister. She pulled into the driveway and a woman came out.
Mullin asked when the house would be available.
The woman was confused. Her lease wasn’t up until May, she said.
Another scam.
Mullin reported the incidents to the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, but investigator Matt Ednie said there is nothing law enforcement officers can do until money changes hands.
“If it’s priced too good to be true, it probably is,” he said. “If it’s priced significantly below market, that’s a red flag.”
Ednie has fielded other complaints about the Rafter J home in recent days. It’s subsequently been pulled from Craigslist.
The biggest sign of an African scam is poor grammar and spelling mistakes, Ednie said. And, if anyone asks for money to be wired through Western Union, it’s probably a fraud, he said.
“If you’re sucked in all the way up to that point and somebody asks you to wire money out of the country, don’t do it,” Ednie said.
