The real 419 story

*long post but most of the paragraphs in color you can skim*

Ok so I am in the middle of moving to the dc area *excited* so I was looking for a decent, SAFE, cheap place to live. Despite what I have heard that decent places start at $1000+ in the dc area, my lovely budget was $700 a month. Now some people call me a cheap skate cos I could easily afford $1000 and up but why would I do that when I can get the same bang for my buck at $700 right. So ofcourse the go to place for cheap skates like me: CRAIGSLIST. Now since the whole craigslist killer thing, I have been apprehensive of getting anything or anyone of craigslist. But to get $700 in dc, i figured that was the way to go. I also found a mover for $15/hr.....GENIUS. Anyway back to the rent. So I saw a few $1000 plus places on there but then I saw a string of $700 postings that were really catching my eye, about 3 of them. From the description, it was to die for but the only thing was that they didnt put up pictures. so i emailed all of them and I gave them my list of things and asked if the apartment and apartment complex had those. Then I asked if I could come see the place. Here are the emails I got from the 3 "different" people:

Email 1:

Thanks for your email and it is my gladness hearing from you. I am Reverend James Alfredo, the owner of the apartment you are making inquiry about. Actually I resided in the apartment with my family, such as my wife and my only daughter before and presently we had packed due to my transfer from my working place and now situated in Beijing,China. and presently my apartment is still available for rent for $660 per month including the utilities like hydro, washer and security,it is fully furnished.


        More so Now, I went for a Crusade in Beijing,China.and I will like you to get in touch with my wife for more discussion as she is with the keys and the document to the house. Please i want you to note that, I am a kind and honest man and also i spent a lot on my property that i want to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this apartment and want you to treat it as your own,is that taken,it is not the money the main problem but we want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i came for a check up.i do that once in a while.I also want you to let me have trust in you as i always stand on my word.Where are you located and where do you see our advert also let us know if you need more pictures.




Email my wife  Elizabeth on (*i took out the email addy*@gmail.com) and she will attend to you better with more information and pictures.


Thanks and you are welcome.
Rev. James Alfredo.

Email 2: 

Thanks for your email and it is my gladness hearing from you. I am Reverend James Lens, the owner of the apartment you are making inquiry about. Actually I resided in the apartment with my family, such as my wife and my only daughter before and presently we had packed due to my transfer from my working place and now situated in Beijing in China and presently my apartment is still available for rent for  per month is $700 including the utilities like hydro, washer and security,it is fully furnished.

More so Now, I went for a Crusade in Beijing in China and I will like you to get in touch with my wife for more discussion as she is with the keys and the document to the house. Please i want you to note that, I am a kind and honest man and also i spent a lot on my property that i want to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this apartment and want you to treat it as your own,is that taken,it is not the money the main problem but we want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i came for a check up.i do that once in a while.I also want you to let me have trust in you as i always stand on my word.Where are you located and where do you see our advert also let us know if you need more pictures.




Email my wife Jennifer on (*i took out the email addy*@gmail.com ) and she will attend to you better with more information and pictures.



Thanks and you are welcome.

Rev James Lens


Email 3:

Hello,


    Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to hearing from you . My name is Rev Roland Rohr the owner of the Condo you are making inquiry of....Actually I reside in the Condo with my family,such as my wife and my only daughter before and presently we had packed due to my transfer from my working place and and presently my Condo is still available for rent including the utilities like hydro/heat dry washer and security and bills, everything in the Condo is fully furnished.More so Now,I went for a crusade in Western Region of Africa and i will like you to get in touch with my wife in London United Kingdom for more information regarding the Condo as She is with the keys and the document to the Condo Pls i want you to note that,I am a kind and honest man and also i spent alot on my property that i want to give you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this Condo and want you to treat it as your own, money is not  the main problem but want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up.i do that once in awhile.I also want you to let me have trust in you as I always stand on my word.


Condo Address :*i took out some of the address* Arlington, VA 22204


Please Kindly  email my wife Emily, (*i took out the email addy*@gmail.com) and she will attends to you better on how to proceed.
Thanks and God bless you
Reverend Roland Rohr 

Knowing that something was up at this point, I still proceeded to email the wives and only 2 got back to me and this were their replies:

Wife of email 2: 

Hi ,


My husband and I owners of the Apartment . It was due to my husband transfer that makes us to leave the Apartment and also want to give it out for rent a looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So for now, Am here in Beijing in China our new house so viewing at this time will not be possible...Hope you are not offended by that and also with the keys of the Apartment, We try to look for an agent that we can give this document before we left but could not see and were as well as don't want our house to be used any how in our present that is why we took it along to us here and as you know that, My husband over in Beijing in China for a Christian Mission of God, So I hope you will promise us to take very good care of the Apartment. So get back to me on how you could take care of our Apartment. Hope you are okay with the price with hydro, Heat laundry facilities, Air condition, Internet and so on, View more pictures at the attach file.. I look forward to hearing from you ASAP so that I can forward you rent application to fill out and discuss on how to get the keys/documents and move in,also are you ready to rent it now or when ?


MORE DETAILS:-
FULLY FURNISHED
SHORT/LONG TERM RENT
SPACIOUS AND LIGHT
KITCHEN BREAKFAST ROOM
POPULAR AREA
ONE BEDROOM
GOOD TRANSPORT LINKS
PARKING SPACE.

Reception room 14'5 x 10'5 (4.39m x 3.18m)
Bedroom 14'5 x 10'2 (4.39m x 3.1m)
Kitchen 5'0 x 3'5 (1.52m x 1.04m)
Bathroom 9'1 x 6'8 (2.77m x 2.03m)

Await your reply soon.

Thanks and God Bless You

Mrs Jennifer. 

Wife of email 1: 

Hi,


My husband and I owners of the Apartment . It was due to my husband transfer that makes us to leave the Apartment and also want to give it out for rent. and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So for now, Am here in Hawaii, United States our new, i came down here for a proper treatment, because i have a problem with my earing. so my husband received all calls because i cannot hear very well.. so viewing at this time will not be possible...Hope you are not offended by that and also with the keys of the Apartment, We try to look for reputable agent that we can give this keys and document too,but we did not see that is the reason why we came down here with the keys and documents. we as well as don't want our house to be used any how in our absent that is why we took it along to us here and as you know that, My husband over in Beijing, China. for a Christian Mission of God, So I hope you will promise us to take very good care of the Apartment. So get back to me on how you could take care of our Apartment. Hope you are okay with the price with hydro, Heat laundry facilities, Air condition, Internet and so on, View more pictures at the attach file.. I look forward to hearing from you ASAP so that I can forward you rent application to fill out and discuss on how to get the keys/documents and move in,also are you ready to rent it now or when ?


MORE DETAILS:-
FULLY FURNISHED
SHORT/LONG TERM RENT
SPACIOUS AND LIGHT
KITCHEN BREAKFAST ROOM
POPULAR AREA
ONE BEDROOM
GOOD TRANSPORT LINKS
PARKING SPACE.

Reception room 14'5 x 10'5 (4.39m x 3.18m)
Bedroom 14'5 x 10'2 (4.39m x 3.1m)
Kitchen 5'0 x 3'5 (1.52m x 1.04m)
Bathroom 9'1 x 6'8 (2.77m x 2.03m)

Await your reply soon.
Thanks and God Bless You
Love In Christ.
Mrs Elizabeth

Wife of email 3:

Hello,

Its very Nice to Read from you,My name is Emily wife of Rev Roland  Rohr owner of the 1 Bedroom Apartment for rent  out,so we are looking for a responsible person that can take Very Good care of the apartment..My husband in respect who owned the apartment and I also want you to know that it was due to my husband Missionary Transfer that made us to leave the apartment,so we want you to take very good care of it as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own.So for now I am now at LONDON UK,and more also i am with the keys and document of the apartment,We try to look for an agent or friends that we can give this Keys and document before we left but could not see and we are as well as don't want our apartment to be used any how in our Absent that is why i brought the keys along with me here.As you know that,my husband over in Western Region of  Africa for his Job is also wanting a good tenant,so i hope you will promise us to take very good care of the apartment.

So pls get back to me on how you could take care of our apartment or perhaps experience you have in renting apartments, My husband how ever told me that you spoke like a lovely person to him in the first e-mail you wrote to him,Hope you are okay with the price  per Month ($977) with utilities like :- Stove - Electric ,Refrigerator, Microwave ,Ice Maker ,Full Kitchen ,Coffee maker ,TV/VCR ,Stereo ,Phone ,Linens provided ,High Speed Internet ,CD Player ,Cable/Satellite TV,Double/twin zip & link beds and a child's cot can be provided ,Fitted wardrobe, Kitchen Electric hob/oven,Kitchen utensils ,Microwave ,Washer & dryer ,Refrigerator & freezer ,Toaster ,Electric kettle ,Iron and ironing board ,TV & DVD ,Telephone and Fast internet access ,Pedestal Fan ,Free parking. I look forward to hearing from you asap so that I can forward you an application to fill out and discuss on how to get the apartment for rent,View attached file for the apartment pictures... Looking forward to hear from you soon.and below is the address of the apartment, So if you are OK with this pls request for an application form in your next e-mail... am so sorry that i cannot call you because some problems with my mobile phone,pls bear with me, My husband would be the one to call you once you have filed out the application form..and also you could call him.....  



Thanks and God bless you
Love in Christ

Also they sent me the exact same pictures when I asked for apartment pictures. At this point, I decided to follow the Jennifer lady to see where this was going, half hoping it wasn't what i thought it was...419. So I send her an email asking when she will be back as I need the place for 2 years and I don't know how long their "mission" is for. She proceeds to not answer that question and then send me a "rental application". I go along with her, filling the application and refusing to give her personal info like my address and stuff. In this email, along with my "completed" application, I asked her 3 times, in bold and yellow highlight, asking that since she couldn't show me the place, she should at least tell me the building name so I can know where it is and then give me the apartment managers name so I can talk to someone. She again ignores my questions and tells me that I have been approved. No property manager worth his/her salary will approve my application. Anyway she says I should send her $1200 which is $700 rent and $500 security deposit or $1600 which is $1400 rent for 2 months and then $200 security deposit. I should send the money via Western Union to them in China and as soon as they get the money they will send the keys and documents to me via dhl.........EHN, by virtue of the fact that I carry a 9ja passport, I shan't be mugurized o. So please if you see people with these name of Craigslist, please beware o.  The most annoying part is how they are throwing around Christianity and God to deceive people. God is merciful o


On that note: anybody with info on decent, safe places to live in dc or northern virginia and even maryland sef, where the commute to NE dc (red line zone) isn't terrible pls let me know o biko. My budget has been officially increased o to more normal levels for the dc area.