Question: “This gentelmen has sent me a couple of e-mails. I am sending it to you to get your opinion. It just gives me a funny feeling. This is about the house we will have to rent here soon. My wife posted the house for rent on craigs list.”

Here is the email he got as a reply to his craiglist add for house he has for rent:

Thanks for your mail,Yes i appreciate your wanting to help us in oursituation.I am a
chemist by profession and i am currently working with NORTH WICK PARK &ST.MARK’S HOSPITAL,17WATFORD ROAD,HARROW,MIDDLESEX, LONDON . I will be in the states for the next one year with my wife and nine year old daughter and during my stay i will be working with the United States Environmental Protection Agency on a private research work…..We have a financier that is based in the states and he will be handling the rent deposit payment on our behalf,we will instruct him to send you the check for this as soon as you give us the go ahead to make payment to you. Due to the limited time that we have before our arrival,we are making arrangements with a furniture company to supply the home with furniture,so we will need you to provide us with the measurements of the living room and bedroom so that we can send it to the furniture company so that they can supply the unit with furniture that will fit in well. As regards the lease agreement,i want you to send it to me for my review,i will eventually have it filled and signed on my arrival in your place as i am of the opinion that such documents are best filled and signed physically.We can start the lease by 10th of November and we will be doing a one year lease although we will not be arriving until 1st of December…or even before then.You can prepare the lease in my name Mr Richard H and my wife’s name Mrs. Susan H..Please call my cell phone+44 7024055555 Let us know how to move ahead as we intend to complete this deal before we move in by the end of the month,we will let you know the exact date as soon as we get a booking on a flight to the states….
As regards the rent and deposit required to be paid by me in order to secure this rental
prior to our arrival,i will need you to provide me with your full name in which the check will be issued and your complete physical contact address to which it will be sent to by
my financier,as soon as you provide these,i will forward it to my financier with an instruction to issue and send you the check.Please i need you to also reconfirm the total move in costs,that is the rent and deposit to be paid….

I will look forward to your e mail with the required information..
Thank you,
Mr Richard H

Answer: “Somewhere in Nigeria this “Richard H” or whoever it is – is probably replying to several hundred rental advertisements across the US. I’m not certain how he bilks his marks – but rest assured, he has something something up his sleave that involves separating you from your money. What he’s probably fishing for is your bank account information so he can attempt to clean in out from overseas. Nice try, Richard H.”