Easyroommate scam in San Diego
A few weeks ago, someone called Kerry Barkley tried to scam my girlfriend out of money. The scammer was offering an apartment in Dublin, and she wanted us to send the deposit in advance. Luckily I realised it was a scam, and we didn't send any money.
Now, you're probably wondering where San Diego comes into this... Well, a few days I received an email about a similar scam. The email was from a woman in California called Nicole. She explained that someone called Adrian Savino had demanded money from her as a deposit for an apartment. Nicole was supposed to send the deposit via Moneygram. Instead she saw my post and sent me the details of the scam in the hope that it will help other people avoid it.
Now, I don't really care about scams in California, but I do care about my blog's page views. That's why I'm going to publish the details of this scam. So without further ado, here's the initial messages sent betweeen the scammer and the victim.
Scammer: Hi Nicole, I'm a private landlord on Easyroommate & I have properties for rent. Which area are you looking and what's your email so I can send details. Adrian
Victim: Hi Adrian, my email is xxxxxxxxx@gmail.com, my husband Joey and I are looking to remain in the greater san diego area as he works in Encinitas and Del Mar. Thanks
Here's the email from the scammer to the victim.
From: Adrian Savino
To: Nicole
Hi Nicole, It's a modernly furnished and well equipped apt located on 8583 Aero Dr, San Diego, CA 92123 and it is conveniently located within few minutes walk from shops and restaurants. The rent is $1,000.00 PCM (bills inclusive) and a deposit of $600. The apartment is fully furnished is and has a private bathroom so you only need to bring your luggage. I have attached the pictures here so let me know. To book the property.
ciao & best wishes,
Adrian Savino
Attractive photos. And so they should be, because they've come from thekitchen.com, wayfair.com, and homebase.co.uk, according to my reverse Google image search.
The victim's happy to send money:
Victim: I got the thumbs up from the husband, what are next steps.
Scammer: I only need to submit the booking request with Easyroommate and they'll send you the confirmation and instruction. When do you want to move in?
I find this next part hilarious. Easyroommate.com send the victim an email asking her to deposit $600 into their account. Sounds safe, right? We can trust Easyroommate, right? Well, it turns out the email is from the scammer, pretending to be Easyroommate. I love it. Here's the email. Check out the lengths the scammer went to to make the email sound professional.
Dear Nicole,This is to notify you that "Adrian Savino" has successfully submitted a booking request for a property in SanDiego, CA Adrian is a verified landlord and at Easyroommate, we take security very serious [sic] especially to our prospective tenants who are using the Easyroommate platform for the first time. Please note that all transactions for this property is [sic] made within Easyroommate and no payment should be sent to the landlord directly. Your reservation will be handled and completed by Easyroommate to keep both tenant and landlord safe. An Easyroommate representative has been assigned for the appointment and you will receive another email upon completion of the booking procedure.
To confirm your booking, a refundable deposit of $600.00 is required to be paid to Easyroommate representative [sic] within 6 hours or the appointment will be cancelled. We hold the payment until 24 hours after viewing before releasing it to the landlord as a rent [sic] upfront (after a representative from Easyroommate has showed you the property and you've agreed to sign the lease). This gives both parties time to do a walk through upon move-in and make sure that everything is as expected and you’ll be protected by policies, such as cancellation policies and the Tenant Refund Policy.
What to do next?
Kindly visit any Walmart or CVS location store and send the requested payment to the Easyroommate escrow representative below through Moneygram transfer. Choose the "Money in minutes" option when sending the payment, there is a transfer fee but this fee will be refunded so you will get a total refund including the transfer fee. Once you've sent the payment, send the receipt to "bookings.easyroommate@usa.com" with the subject "BOOKING CODE ZHG389" and also a copy of this receipt to the landlord. We will contact the landlord once we receive te [sic] funds and you will receive another email from us on how to proceed.
You must be fucking dumb to believe "bookings.easyroommate@usa.com" is an email address used by Easyroommate. Well ladies and gentlemen, it transpires that the victim really is that dumb.
Victim: Ok got the booking request, will be heading out to Walmart to complete the moneygram in the next hour. Will confirm when completed.
Scammer: You should receive an email with instruction from Easyroommate shortly. Plz I will need your full name and current address
Victim: Perfect, I'm going to the site now. Will the rent be pro-rated based on move in date?
Scammer: You can even move in tomorrow. I will submit the booking request now
But then the victim and her husband start to smell something fishy...
Victim: Hi Adrian, we're at the Walmart on aero drive and would like to see the property before sending the money. Is that possible.
Scammer: Attached is a receipt from another tenant and you're paying Easyroommate directly cos that's the procedure. It's OK if you don't want to proceed just let me know so I can accept other bookings. Thanks. We are not allowed to receive payments directly and that's why you're sending it to the Easyroommate representative. Let me know your decision plz
Victim: I understand all of that, but if we would be able to move in as soon as tomorrow, shouldn't we be able to view the property today?
Scammer: Yes it's available for immediate move in
Victim: Great, my husband and I are in the immediate vicinity, can we please meet with yourself or the agent in charge so that we can view the property. Once we see it the Walmart where we can moneygram the deposit to easyroommate.com is less than 3 blocks away.
Scammer: Like I said, I can't go against Easyroommate's procedure and I can force you to take the property. I'm at work and I'm almost two hours drive away that's why I'm using the Easyroommate platform. I won't get an money from them until you have agreed to sign the lease which is fair enough. I don't know how else to explain this and it's OK if you wish to cancel the booking, I'm flexible. So?
That's when the victim stopped contacting the scammer. So no money was lost, just my patience.
The scammer wanted the victim to send money to someone called John Chris Rowland. It's my guess that that's the scammer's real name. We also seem to have his address. However, according to Google Maps there's no 21 Main Street in Trenton NJ, nor a Main Street at 08601. So his address is probably fake. I mean, if you were going to invent a fake address, "Main Street" is an obvious choice.
I googled "John Chris Rowland" and was only able to get one result. Apparently he's a 3rd Grade Teacher at Sacajawea Elementary School in Seattle. I'm not sure if he's the scammer, or if the scammer's stolen his identity, or just shares his name, or what.
I also want to know how the scammer got hold of an email address that ends with "usa.com". Let me know how this was possible in the comments below.
Comments
2017-03-08 Courtney
I wish I had read this post a month earlier. I was targeted with the same scam and lost over $1,000. I've reported this to the police and easyroommate and have come to the conclusion that I won't be getting that money back. I've learned my lesson, though it was an expensive one. I hope others read this so that they don't make the same mistake I did. Thanks for posting this.
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2017-03-22 Will
Yeah this guy just tried to scam me Fortunately I like to comb the internet a lot, I had picked up on several fishy indicators. 1- how absolutely perfect the photos were- yet so low resolution. 2- he said it was a studio room - I got the address- google searched it, it was a house. How does a house have a studio room? says its a 2 bedroom house that he converted in to two full studio rooms- offered rent $775 . but mandatory deposit of $500 to ensure that I lock myself into an appointment. checked zillow, a house.. $775.. renting both rooms for $1400~ .?? A house worth $500K... In San Diego. Quite a generous thing to do, to charge less that the market value, Most people rent out the house in this area around total of $2800-$3200. 3- Checked email and number and name- can't find a match of any of that information on the internet at all 4- Sending money through Money gram- Western Union? 5- Biggest indicator- Legitamate EasyRoommate Emails usually come from Victoria@easyroommates.com this one came from easyroommate.booking@usa.com Extension.... @usa.com Come on man. Below is an example of an email recieved after I agreed through text ( but never followed through)- this email has a wealth of errors. Don't be fooled. ------------------ Hurray! This is to notify you that "Adrian Fisk" has successfully submitted a viewing request for a property at 10961 Canis Ln, San Diego, CA 92126, USA and appointment is scheduled to hold on (Thu 30-Mar-2017 at 6:00 PM). Adrian is a verified landlord at Easyroommate, we take security very serious especially to our prospective tenants who are using the Easyroommate platform for the first time. Please note that all transactions for this property is made within Easyroommate and no payment should be sent to the landlord directly. Your reservation will be handled and completed by Easyroommate to keep both tenant and landlord safe. An Easyroommate representative has been assigned for the appointment and you will receive another email upon completion of the booking procedure. To confirm your appointment, a refundable deposit of $500.00 is required to be paid to Easyroommate representative within the next few hours or the appointment will be cancelled. We hold the payment until 48 hours after viewing before releasing it to the landlord as a rent upfront (after a representative from Easyroommate has shown you the property and you've agreed to sign the lease). This gives both parties time to do a walk through upon move-in and make sure that everything is as expected and you’ll be protected by policies, such as cancellation policies and the Tenant Refund Policy. What to do next? Kindly visit any Moneygram outlet/Local post office and send the requested payment to the Easyroommate escrow representative below through Moneygram transfer. Choose the "Cash at agent location" option when sending the payment, there is a transfer fee but this fee will be refunded, so you will get a total refund including the transfer fee. Once you've sent the payment, send the receipt to "easyroommate.booking@usa.com" with the subject "BOOKING CODE PQHW9E" and also a copy of this receipt to the landlord. We will contact the landlord once we receive the funds and you will receive another email from us on how to proceed. Please send payment to Easyroommate representative below: Receiver's Name: Felix Cocker City: Houston State: Texas Zip Code: 77060 Country: United States Amount: $500.00 Good luck with your stay. Your customer service team. Follow us on Facebook Our mailing address: Easyroommate Corp. Easyroommate Ltd. Headquarter location Woodberry Grove, North Finchley Bronx, NY 10001, USA London N12 0DR, England, UK EasyRoommate © EasyRoommate™ 1999-2017.
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2018-01-28 Kay
Hi, I received an email from an "Adrian Fisk". I am on the east coast. I was contacted via my cell since easyroomate allows for your phone number to be published. Then I was sent an email. I thought it was strange that I wasn't contacted through the site. My assumption was confirmed when I was asked for money before seeing the place.
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2018-01-28 William
713-951-6260 Felix Cocker - Lockhaven Dr, Houston, Texas
2017-05-03 Ann
I felt lucky that I did not lose any money because I was same situation, the guy's name is Adrian Fisk. I was so new for this and sent $500 security deposit through Moneygram, but unlucky to that scammer, Moneygram put my transaction on hold, and I called them the next day for confirm. They refused the transaction because the untrusted information of the receiver. The scammer texted me again for update the payment, but I didn't answer. I thought it had to be the scam from the beginning, so I block him right after the call with Moneygram. Be careful ladies!
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2017-05-31 B Fate
Wow!!! Thank you for writing this. I just moved from London to California and constantly looking for a room. I have the exact email threads, except this time he wants me to pay with Bitcoin ATM machine! I am very glad I read this blog. Thank you for posting. Let me know if you want my email threads I can Email it to you, I have series of texts too.
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2017-07-05 Sean ONeil
Same scam just today in Anaheim!
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2017-07-20 Matty M.
OMG... I knew the universe was sending me the right signs I just left the bank because I was getting the same exact messages from the same exact type of emails and phone records. I almost put the money in bit when i researhed the recipient the name came up with a thick arrest record and photos etc.. I knew something was fishy and so as I contacted the person he did the same things you described. Sent other reciepts etc... I did not send the money because Im still on the east coast and im moving to the west coast. So being anxious I was prepared to lock something but chiose to go there and find a place that I can trust by touch, sight and face to face communication.
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2018-02-13
Adrian Fisk scams in LA as well, he contacted me via cell phone which was strange, when he asked for the 500 usd refundable deposit before seeing the house I knew something was not right!
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2018-07-29 Victum
Adrian has moved to London.. same story here..
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2019-06-06 Jen
Same scam happening in Santa Clara! This time it came from a man named "Felix Akins" and was associated with Spareroom instead of easyroommate. Heres the email I got: This is to notify you that "Felix Akins" has successfully submitted a reservation request for an apartment at Santa Clara, CA and appointment is booked for Thur 6th June, 2019. Felix is a verified landlord and at Spareroom, we take security very serious especially to our prospective tenants who are using the Spareroom platform for the first time. Please note that all transactions for this rental is made within Spareroom and no payment should be sent to the landlord directly. Your reservation will be handled and completed by Spareroom to keep both tenant and landlord safe. Once again do NOT send any payment to the landlord directly, all payments must be sent to the Spareroom representative assigned for this booking. We at Spareroom believe in a fundamentally different way of doing business. Unlike 99% of our competitors, we believe that the best way to run our company is by ensuring we secure a concrete reservation for all our potential candidates and we intend to stay that way. To confirm your appointment, your first month rent payment of $1250.00 plus your refundable deposit of $800.00 making a total payment of $2050.00 is required to be paid to our Spareroom Escrow agent assigned for your reservation within the next 24hours or the appointment will be CANCELLED. We hold the payment until 48 hours after moving before releasing it to the landlord as a rent upfront (after we have confirmed that you have seen the landlord, viewed the property and satisfied). This gives both parties time to do a walk through upon check-in and make sure that everything is as expected and you’ll be protected by policies, such as cancellation policies and the Tenant Refund Policy. What to do next? Visit your nearest bank and send the requested payment to our Spareroom official representative assigned for your booking in charge of your reservation below via CASH DEPOSIT ONLY. There is a transfer fee but this fee will be refunded so you will get a total refund including the transfer fee. Once you've sent the payment, send the receipt to "Spareroomteam@mail.com" with the subject "RESERVATION CODE SFU387" and also a copy of this receipt to the landlord. We will contact the landlord once we receive the funds and you will receive another email from us on how to proceed. Please send payment to Spareroom representative below: Bank Name: BB&T Account Name: Malinda Weaver Account number: 1110017978377 Bank Routine Number: 061113415 Amount: $2050.00 Spareroom© 2016 You received this message because you are a member of Spareroom. Notification settings • Unsubscribe instantly Our mailing address: Spareroom Corp. Spareroom Ltd. Headquarter location Woodberry Grove, North Finchley Bronx, NY 10001, USA London N12 0DR, England, UK
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