Chris

I’ve also experienced the same and have been asked to transfer $4000 just to inspect the apartment with the assurance that a full refund will be provided, by the same person- Antoine Grebbler from an ad posted on domain. Scam!

This is what happened:
. I responded to an ad (too good to be true) on domain
. I received an email from a personal email address introducing herself and that she’s curreny in NZ mending other properties, attached photos of the rental I was interested in- utilities and furniture included in the rent (unreal)
. Explained to me that airbnb will be managing the property im interested in
. At this point the domain link has gone offline
. Then said I need to pay airbnb and that it will be held for 2 days before I can inspect the apartment, should I not be interested a full refund will be given on the day.
. Offered to send me a link to make the payment

At this point of the conversation, the fish smelt so bad I realise it was definitely fraudulent. I hope others will beware too.

It’s a myth that the banks can/will do nothing. I have been contacted by my bank a few times when deposits were made that shouldn’t have/were from a hacked online bank account and that they were reversing the funds. Scam guy I’m guessing is using a stolen bank account or the account was made with fake/false ID.

Or say that the transfer was unauthorised and you don’t know who did it. Say your facebook page also had some blocked login attempts from Russia after using the free wifi at McDonalds today. Then your workplace IT manager informed you the hackers might have got your bank account login details when you logged in using the free open wifi. (it’s quite possible, trust me :-).

Say you didn’t notice until today / now. Sound panicky and ask the bank to lock your credit cards as ‘them hackers’ might have those numbers too and to reset your online banking passwords.

Second option definitely works alot of the time, especially if there is still funds in their account that can be returned. But technically you could be in trouble if they get you to sign a statutory declaration saying you didn’t make the transfer. But hard to prove you didn’t or did equally if it ever comes to that.

I used to work for BankWest doing fraud related work. I saw the same scams day in, day out. That’s why saying you logged into your bank account while using free public wifi will help, easiest way hackers steal your details and always made me go ‘uhhhhhhhhh’ in my head when they say “why yes I do use the free Wifi at x location”.

At the very least inform the bank were you made the deposit to about being scammed so they can freeze / investigate his account. Even email them a copy of the ID he gave you.

And remember that this guys life is so shit that he has to resort to stealing money in this way to stay alive. He has to cause misery and hurt to people he will never meet as a daily occurrence because that is all he can do. He can’t function in our society. He is broken.

Although it’s weird to say, but feel good about the fact that you don’t have to scam people to get what you want in life. If you can understand that it wasn’t a personal attack against you but you were just another number to him to steal from because he is so worthless at doing anything else you’ll start to feel a bit better.

The scammer is probably sitting on the end of his bed trying to convince himself that his life is worth continuing, that someone wants him. But they don’t and that’s why he does what he does and probably needs heroin everyday just to make it through. Feel better in that knowledge.

Peace and chicken grease