Well said tellin' it like it is...you saw right through their mask! As for bodeswest, must have a 40 or below IQ...has nothing intelligent to say only provides negative feedback on others emails...must be a realtor!

They take photos/description of active rental ads in popular areas and lower the price substantially to attract a high response rate.  I saw one ad on CL for $800 per month - when I checked it on realtor.com, the house was renting for over $2700.

Funny how realtors are saying there is a scam out there by someone else - what are they afraid of - competition?  Realtor are the biggest scammers of them all.  Worse than lawyers, worse than car salesman - worse than all the email scams put together.  It is time to get rid of these rip-off middlemen!

I think the scams need to be addressed from higher up than our agencies. I also think their should be higher penalties and prison for anyone's identity or information you Steal OR Use for any reason. Not only has the theft escalated, but it has become a way of life for many people. I cant believe the US as a country has not caught the most profitable way of stealing money with out leaving your house. This is baffling to me, the insurance companies and corporations that have the identify theft coverage is making a generous profit, by the people paying for this insurance for the security of being safe. This will cover the loses they have to pay out when the money is stolen from their multi million dollar corporations by thief's that are stealing from them on or off line. If you think about it, the insurance for this is a huge business. As far as sending money overseas or wiring to anyone you do not know or do business with should be common sense. Especially for property or merchandise in your own state. In all reality what security do we really have, They wonder why our identify is stolen."Please" you can pay $39.95 or a one time fee of $9.99 and retrieve anyone's personal information from current addresses to personal documents and public records, phone numbers and a copy of your social security card. Our information is on sale on line 24 hours a day. So before we complain about identify theft,our government needs to make this information non-excessible on line or to any marketer  who  pays for it for profit. This is personal information or so we thought.

I am a REALTOR and a member of NAR and hate to hear of this type of activity.  I also take care of Lease property and the only money you should be out up front is the fee to run your credit repost which at most would be $50.  Any REALTOR can be looked up on line here in Texas you go to www.texasrealestatecommission.com and look up the REALTORS name to see if they are a REALTOR.  

I AM A REALTOR WITH WINDERMERE REAL ESTATE.

BEWARE OF ANOTHER SCAM THAT "PROFESSIONAL SQUATTERS" ARE USING.

REALTORS: IF YOU HAVE A FORECLOSED HOME THAT YOU ARE LISTING AND THE HOME IS EMPTY, BEWARE.  MY ASSOCIATE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO HER:

THE HOMEOWNER CALLED HER, AND SAID THAT HIS ELECTRIC BILL ON THE HOUSE IS NORMALLY 4.00 DOLLARS, BUT THIS MONTH IT WAS 58.00.......MY ASSOCIATE DID A 'DRIVE BY' OF THE PROPERTY.......NOT ONLY WAS HER FOR SALE SIGN GONE, HER LOCKBOX HAD BEEN CUT OFF, AND THERE WAS A DOGGIE SITTING IN THE WINDOW,AND THERE WERE BROOMS AND A MOP SITTING OUT ON THE PORCH!!!!!!!!!   NEITHER SHE (THE LISTING AGENT) OR THE HOMEOWNERS KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, SO THEY CALLED THE UTILITY COMPANIES, WHO SAID THAT THE PERSON HAD ALREADY PUT THE UTILITIES IN HIS NAME........WHEN APPROACHED BY MY ASSOCIATE AND THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY, THE LYING SCUMBAG TOLD THEM THAT HE HAD SEEN A SMALL HAND MADE SIGN OUT ON THE HIGHWAY, AND THAT HE CALLED THE NUMBER, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT HOUSE WAS FOR RENT, AND HE ALSO TOLD MY ASSOCIATE THAT HE GAVE THIS PERSON 800.00 FOR FIRST MONTHS RENT, AND THAT HE WAS SUPPOSE TO GIVE HIM ANOTHER 800.00 IN TWO WEEKS.....................HE PRODUCED WHAT LOOKED LIKE AN 'OFFICE SUPPLY STORE' COPY OF A RENTAL/LEASE AGREEMENT, AND KEPT CLAIMING THAT HE "LOST" THE PERSONS PHONE NUMBER.  

 TO MAKE A VERY VERY LONG STORY SHORT, THE LAWFUL HOMEOWNERS HAD TO GO THRU THREE MONTHS OF A COURT PROCESS TO GET THIS LOWLIFE SQUATTER OUT OF THIER HOUSE.  HE LEFT POOP IN THE TOILET, TONS OF HAIR IN THE SINK, AND THE PLACE A MESS.

    HE IS A REAL PROFESSIONAL.  SO ANY REALTORS WHO HAVE EMPTY-HOUSE LISTINGS, PLEASE ASK THE NEIGHBORS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE HOUSE AND TO CALL YOU IF THEY SEE ANY ACTIVITY ON THE PROPERTY WHAT SO EVER.

UNBELIEVABLE.  THERE NEEDS TO BE A LAW THAT EJECTS SQUATTERS IMMEDIATELY.

THIS 'SQUATTERS RIGHTS' THING IS BULL----

Nigeria routes calls through  UK phone #s.  That's why pleas/sad stories/shuck & jive rental rumors appear to come from the UK.  Keyword: appears to come from UK.

If you can, block "groups" on your computer, especially yahoo groups.  Should you belong to one of the common ones try a "safe list" of people whose address you allow through, block all addresses from known questionable emails.

The first thing to look for in any transaction is WESTERN UNION, if that is included in any. I will say this again IN ANY MESSAGE do not respond, of follow through with the person. Nearly 100% of the time it is a scammer. Scams can come from any part of the world INCLUDING the U.S. The safest way is to use Pay-Pa; but call them first and comfirm that the transaction is valid. I use craigs list a lot and I have learned to ONLY stay with local transactions, and meet face to face.

The real problem is, people want everything for the lowest possible price which often means that it's a scam!  I'm sorry, but I don't feel sorry for anyone who thinks that they're getting a 30-40% bargain by e-mailing a deposit via Western Union overseas TO A NIGERIAN OR UK Western Union Office thinking that they're going to save a fortune!  PEOPLE ARE JUST STUPID!!  Remember; A fool and their money are soon departed.

I once had a small RE appraisal firm, the realtors in town were so crooked, they put me out of business. I don't much listen when realtors cry foul !!!!!