Thursday, July 07, 2005

Nigeria

On May 22 "monica davies" sent me an email message:

Hello There,
My name is Monica and I've been looking for an
apartment to rent when I will come to the states
by June, I was your Ad on craigslist and I am highly
interested as the location of your apartment suits
will suit my stay in he staes, I am professional
in the programming field, I work with Oracle
cooperation in Nigeria here and I will be coming ionto the
states to do some things with Oracle US for some months
because it is a database project and might even
last for up to a year so I am looking up to a long term
rent say 6 months - 12 months. I will like response as
soon as you get this mail because I need to give my
clients a feedback of the progress of securing an
apartmernt with you, so please make it fast.
About payment, I will like to pay with Money Orders
which is very secure for my sake but I will
require a little help from you as for the secutiry fee
and other amount to show my capability to pay the rent all
theough, you may receive an overpayment which you
may have to put my balance in an account for me till i
come or you send it here if I require. I will be
very glad if this apartment is still availabe for rent
because apart from some business location, I like
it personally.
So I will need your fulllname and address to mail
the money orders I will be paying with to you if you
wantto lease this apt. out to me.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Sincerely
Monica
Hope to hear from you soon.


On May 22 I wrote...
Hi, Monica.
I need to know a few things:
1. The names and ages of the propsective tenants.
2. The date they will want to move in.
Also, in order for me to hold the apartment for you I need you to send me exactly $1,500 in U.S. currency.
The instrument should be made payable to Prodesse Property and should be delivered to Matt Karnes, 515 Boyton St, San Jose, CA 95117, U.S.A.
As soon as we receive your money we will hold an apartment open for you.
Matt
Later that same day "monica" wrote to me again:

Hello Karnes,
Thanks for your mail, I will be sending mail tomorrow
depoending.........
I am the only person and i am 35 year old I will be
arriving by the middle of next month.
I will be sending the money orders with more than the
required amount toprove my credit rating for the
renatl and would like you to keep my money for me til
im back or you send it to me here.
Sincerely
Monica


On May 26 "Monica" wrote to me again:
Hello Matt,
I ve been waiting for your mail , did you get the payment yet?

and I replied:
No. I have not received your payment.
And then "Monica" wrote:
Hello Matt,
Im sorry you will receive the payment before the end
of this week or early next week, its a check of $3500
you may deposit it in the bank then when you get the
funds out you notify me so I may know how to contact
my furniture company to get me some furniture for the
apt.
Regards
Monica


June 17
Monica wrote:
Hello Matt,
You are yet to notify me if touve gotten the payment or not.

I responded: I have not received payment.


Today: The UPS man came by the office and gave me a letter
containing 5 counterfet U.S. postal money orders from Miami Florida.
They were signed by "John Seco" The return address has the name
of one "williams troy"
. The value of the money orders if they
were real would be four thousand dollars.
The "money orders" were made
payable to me personally. (Oh! How they try to suck you in.)



I checked my email and there was this message from Monica:

Hello Matt,
I am so happy to tell you that you shall receive the
payment this morning and please dont delay me any
longer as soon as you get the payment send the western
union of my balance to this information:
Name : Daniel Dopsy
Address: 12 Osho street Opebi,
Ikeja, Lagos Nigeria 23401
Thanks a lot for your sincere patience and hoping to
meet you soon.
Monica

I have printed out copies of the above emails
and am mailing them along with the counterfeit
money orders to the United States Postal Inspector.

2 comments:

Elizabeth @ The Garden Window said...

Matt, you sure *do* lead an exciting working life !
Asbestos and Nigerian scams in less than a fortnight......the mind boggles.......

Huw Richardson said...

Heavens. We have to send some money to Nigeria and soon: their English is horrid. And this is the professionals!

I had absolutely no idea that the scams were now including apartment rentals. Sorry to hear about the troubles!