https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 18:03:03 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-420084 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:26:03 +0000 Honeybee 420084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419653 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:06:58 +0000 anonysquire 419653@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: Hey I live in Utah!!! Welcome to Utah :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419570 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:47:15 +0000 ladyfingers 419570@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That stinks. As I was reading it, I was thinking, these people at the very least seem really irritating if not scam artists. Holy-learn-to-use-a-comma-and-periods. I wouldn't be comfortable with an out-of-state landlord anyway. Sorry it didn't work out for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419418 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:02:50 +0000 Mrs. Blue 419418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ETA: Just saw you already figured it out. Sorry! </p> <p>I think it's a scam. We contacted a landlord about a property on Craigslist and they said some similar stuff about not worrying about the for sale sign, etc. We figured out what realty company it was listed with and called to verify that it really was a scam. It was. Too low of a price, too much background info in the response, and the whole sign thing are big tip offs. Ask to tour the house (even if you really couldn't really make the trip) because if it's real they will have arrangments made for people to see the inside. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419244 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:16:11 +0000 Alivoo01 419244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Boo on this one turning out to be a scam, but at least you caught it before you sent them any money!! Best of luck on find a "real" home! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419225 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:08:20 +0000 Honeybee 419225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Really frustrating! Ah well, I've found a few other places today that might work out, so I'm not too disappointed. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419194 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:53:55 +0000 Revel 419194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ditto PP, I've gotten this letter at least once before in a rental search. Such a frustrating part of looking for a new home! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419175 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:45:52 +0000 T.H.O.U. 419175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Its a SCAM! </p> <p>My SIL worked through this too. Basically they take pictures of the outside of houses (drive by whatever) and fake inside pictures and then get people to "rent" them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419170 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:44:36 +0000 autumnlove 419170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cute house, sorry if it was a scam! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419163 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:42:06 +0000 Adira 419163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also, if the house ever WAS on the market, they had to have keys somewhere local (either with their selling agent or whoever) in order to be able to show the property. The fact that the house is in Utah but they are in Florida and have the only set of keys is definitely indication of a scam.</p> <p>Sorry this house didn't work out for you though, because it definitely is gorgeous! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419160 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:41:29 +0000 Meridian 419160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, the nerve of these people!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419143 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:34:11 +0000 calsmom 419143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A scam! When my husband and I were looking for rentals, we inquired on one house. We received a very similar email to the one you got. It screamed scam. Especially when we drove past the property and there was no 'for rent' sign and the rent seemed way too low for the neighborhood it was in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419125 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:22:13 +0000 Silva 419125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>definitely scam! They usually get pictures from houses that are for sale in the area. Encountered one of these the last time we moved- letter/situation was almost identical. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419119 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:18:41 +0000 Honeybee 419119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@thismustbetheplace: Ah. :( Pretty close, you're right.</p> <p>Here's the sale listing:<br /> <a href="http://www.utahhomes.com/property/details/271458/MLS-1131432/667-E-Ramona-Ave-S-Salt-Lake-City-UT-84105.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.utahhomes.com/property/details/271458/MLS-1131432/667-E-Ramona-Ave-S-Salt-Lake-City-UT-84105.aspx</a></p> <p>It's definitely the same photos, and it looks like it was only listed 9 days ago, so I doubt they already took it off the market. Definitely a scam. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419115 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:15:21 +0000 Mrs.Someone 419115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely a scam! I've heard of these things before. They're always out of town, can't show you the house, and they tell you to disregard the for sale sign. Report it and run away! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419113 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:14:36 +0000 thismustbetheplace 419113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hello</p> <p>Thanks for your swift reply regarding my property, the house is currently unoccupied and it is vacant for move in now.</p> <p>Please I am not available to show you the interior of the house, due to the nature of my work being transferred here in Texas, but I will handle everything here.<br /> I want you to drive by the property and view the exterior and I promise you that you will love it, as soon as you have done that get back to me ASAP so we can proceed further.</p> <p>The rent fee is $650 per month and the security deposit is $650, Utilities like washer, dryer, gas, electricity, Dishwasher, Electric Stove, Fridge are included in the rental fee and pets are allowed.</p> <p>Pets are Welcome!!!<br /> Number of Bedrooms: 3<br /> Number of Bathrooms: 1.5<br /> Rent: $650<br /> Deposit: $650</p> <p>Address of the house: xxx Hollybrook Road, Rochester NY 14623</p> <p>Please get back soon so as to proceed.</p> <p>Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that I can present it to my family, pray over it (because I consult the Almighty God before making any decision and if accepted, and have them stored in my file for the purpose of issuing the receipts to you and contacting you. Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you, please we are giving you all this based on trust and again I will want you to stick to your words, you know that we are very far apart now and only putting everything into God's hands and hope that you will not let us down. You can call me on xxx-xxx-xxxx </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419111 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:13:34 +0000 Arden 419111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm thinking scam, because of the "don't worry about the sign/internet sale information". Sounds like they found a house online for sale and used the photos for their scam.</p> <p>If you actually took your home off the market, you'd remove the sign from the yard... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419109 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:13:05 +0000 Honeybee 419109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@thismustbetheplace: I know... Most rentals in that area are in the $1500/month + price range, and utilities are not included. And most of the places we have seen are nowhere near that new. </p> <p>Sigh, if something seems off, it probably is. :) This is how phishers get your info, of course. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419102 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:09:49 +0000 thismustbetheplace 419102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: I'm trying to find some examples of old emails that I've received so you can compare.. they're almost an identical story. And unfortunately they almost always give a little bit of a sob story (tough economy) and throw some religious reference (remain blessed) in there so you feel bad/want to trust them. That house is super nice! I just don't see how it could possibly be that cheap.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419097 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:05:06 +0000 Honeybee 419097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Lone Palm: I've inquired about dozens of houses, and it's pretty hit or miss. I haven't received any replies like this, yet, though.</p> <p>@Leialou: I do have a friend in the area who might be willing to help me out... I guess if they are willing to set up a walk-through, my friend might be able to do it for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419096 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:03:23 +0000 Honeybee 419096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@thismustbetheplace: You did?! Ok, so it IS a phishing scam. That's kind of what I thought, but, well, I wanted it to be real. :) I'll move on, then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419094 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:03:03 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 419094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's hard to say. Is there anyone in the area that can go see the house for you? A lot of people lease nice homes like that through a realtor here so I'd be wary of a by owner who doesn't live in the state. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419092 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:02:22 +0000 Lone Palm 419092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Be really really careful! If its too good to be true it probably is! I can't even begin to tell you how many scams I encountered when looking for our rental home recently! I'm not saying this is a scam but I would often receive emails from people stating they lived out of state or out of the country. Definitely don't send them any application fee's or anything. My test would always be to responds with "So can we come look at it?" normally I wouldn't get a response back....I mean I'm not going to rent a house until I can walk through it!</p> <p>We used a ton of different sites for house searching and I wasn't surprised to come across scams on craigslist but I would get these emails from inquiries on sites like Trulia or Zillow as well...I always kind of assumed those sites were more "legit?" I was wrong. I think because anyone can post to those sites as well.</p> <p>How many houses have you inquired about? I ask because the other thing I noticed was that I would get the same exact email content when inquiring about different houses but from different people at different email addresses. It was really frustrating.</p> <p>We did end up find an amazing house though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419091 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:02:08 +0000 Honeybee 419091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>These are all the things going through my head! If it's real, holy cow, it's an amazing deal! But there's a few things that seem off?</p> <p>DH and I own a rental property in our college town, so I undertsand managing a rental from a distance, but it seems weird that we can't view the property at all until we rent it? Definitely not comfortable with that...</p> <p>I wrote back and said that I'm uncomfortable filling out all the necessary paperwork until we view the property in person, but that I can bring all our documentation and a check to the walk-through, if they have anyone they can trust the keys with. I'm waiting for a reply... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419090 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:01:59 +0000 tororojo 419090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Why is there still a sign and online listing if they're not selling it anymore? That seems odd. Also, I don't think I'd want to rent a house if I hadn't been inside first. It could be a good deal, but could be a scam! I would probably pass on it, personally. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419089 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:00:49 +0000 thismustbetheplace 419089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope, nope, nope. Have gotten versions of this letter many times while we were looking for a new place. It is for sure a scam. They take pictures and information off of other listing websites. </p> <p>If it sounds too good to be true, in my experience, it usually is :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419084 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:57:44 +0000 MrsTiz 419084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hm. I don't know! It could be a scam very easily, but it makes sense to not be..</p> <p>You'll never meet them, even if you rent the house? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419083 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:57:26 +0000 Bookish 419083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The part about "willing to take absolute care of the house as if it's yours" throws me off, although I don't know why. Makes me wonder if they are going to skip out on helping you with things that break, etc, because it's 'yours,' ya know? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419082 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:57:00 +0000 mrsjazz 419082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, you can't actually go inside to check this place out until they send you the keys? They don't have someone showing the house for them? Do you only get to see the house if you send the deposit and first month's rent? Something's not right here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-cant-tell-if-this-is-legit#post-419080 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:56:05 +0000 MrsBrewer 419080@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow if that is a real listing holy cow is that an awesome deal! Although it's weird, I clicked on the link, and it said that this was flagged and will be removed by the lister? </p>