We’ve just got our hands on a classic scam E-mail from the “landlord” of the flat that sounded too good to be true. Apparently our tenant (who has been browsing through listing every day during this past month) stumbled on a £250 Sloane Square flat on Gumtree…

Here’s the first reply from the landlord:

Hello,

Thank you for your e-mail.
My name is Louisa and i am from Wien,Austria.
I had an aunt in London and after her death she left me her apartment
from London a few years ago.
Till last mounth the apartment was rent by some stutdents from Germany
and now they left and the apartment is available again for rent.
The price i want is 250 UK pounds per week and i do  not work with any
agency because they have big comision.
About the advance it is the price for the first 2 mounths.

If you want to rent it and you have the money i could came to London to
meet you in a few days but you must be sure you want to rent it.

I will wait for your
e-mail.

After asking for some additional photos/information, the second E-mail arrives:

Hello,

Thank you for your e-mail.
Flat location is Sloane Court East, Sloane Square and it is fully
furnished and bills are included.
As i said i live in Wien and i must came to UK to meet you and see the
flat and i want the rent for the first 2

mounths in advance,that is 2000GBP.
If you have the money i could came in the next few days to make the
contract with you but first you must be sure

because 2 weeks ago a person from UK told me he is really interested and
he asked me to go to London to meet him

and sign the rent contract and when i arrived there no person showed up to
rent my place and i lost time and money

for nothing.
Please note that i am a deaf person and i could comunicate only via
e-mail and i can not afford to came again to

London for nothing,i do not want anybody to make again a stupid joke.
If you want i will send you more pictures of the flat to make your
decision but i want you to be sure you want to

rent it and i must be sure you have the money and you are a serious
person.

Also,i could came to meet only in the weekend,i could buy a fly ticket
for a friday night and i will be in London

to meet you on a Saturday.

I will wait for your answer,have a nice day!

***

The landlord is obviously working towards getting a payment before showing the apartment. Which doesn’t exist…

You might know this is a scam but hundreds of people are fooled every year, especially those who are new to London, don’t know the language so well, and need a place fast.

We’ll report the ad to Gumtree, who has warned users – If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Clown photographed by =alexander=