Counterfeit cashier’s check scam
Since September 2004, the Internet has to cope with international crooks on every classifieds website in Australia and beyond. We already have a couple of examples on our website, that’s why we’d like to warn you of their illicit acts. We are dedicated to making your experience with Ozflatmate as appreciable and as successful as possible. Please take a look at our special page to protect you from scams.
Here is how they operate.
Scamming People are usually abroad, they will tell you that they are interested in renting your room. They will send you a cashier’s check to pay the rent for three months for example. The cashier's check is written for a large sum, and the person who sent it asks that the balance is sent back minus the rent and deposit. By the time the money is sent off, the victim finds that the check was Counterfeit

First, they post a profile in the category "I need a room"

Example of ad:

Hi I am a very friendly and cool headed computer scientist from Lagos Nigeria, Looking for a person who is as accommodating as I am to live with for about 6 months. I am coming on my annual leave and intend to acquire some more knowledge while I am there. Please send me a mail and let me know your offer, I don't smoke, I drink occasionally and I'm neat. Mail me please…..

OR

I am Mariam Johnson presently mailing from South Africa and wish to spend my vacation in Australia.

OR
I am Rachel from Mexico and would love to rent a room at your service. I am planning to spend my vacation in Sydney.

Second, they try to contact a user who has a room for rent

Example of E-mail:

Hi,
How are you today? hope you are fine. My Name is James. I am working with the Leks Consultant company, here in Holland. We have two clients from Holland, They are in-need of apartment in your location. I am hereby making an enquiry of your apartment for them.

One of them has responded very well when I showed him your advert. I will like to know your last best offer for letting. They are ready to send payment on time for non disappointment and I will be adding my own profit to your own asking price, and my profit will be sent back to me through western-union (You are not paying for my commission, but my clients will do but they will send it to you with your rental fee and then you will help send it back to me immediately you receive payment)

If you are ok with every thing, kindly forward your contact information as follows;
YOUR FULL NAME,..
As soon as i receive your contact details, I assured you that the check payment will get to you in 5 working days.

Regards.
James.

P.S Please get back to me as soon as possible. So my client will forward you
a check for ($5,000) so as soon as you have it, you deduct your amount and
send the rest back to me as my commission via WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.

Here is a message a from user that has been scammed:

"I have just been scammed by someone calling themselves "Jane Timi". It was quite simple, she answered an ad for a room I had in Calgary, Alberta, then said she was sending a deposit. However, the deposit didn't come, so she emailed and said her mum was sick but that the deposit was coming by messenger.

A cheque arrived about the same time she told me her Mum had died and that the agent that sent the cheque had made a mistake and sent me all her money instead of the deposit and could I please send the balance to her so she could pay for the funeral and her plane ticket.

I waited 5 days for her cheque to clear (the bank told me 3 days) then I sent her the balance. after another 5 days the cheque came back as counterfeit."

The moral to this story is quite simple: DO NOT send money until payments have cleared, do not give your details out to someone that is not in the country at the time, if a person truly wants your place to live, get them to provide you with their details and contact phone number, do some research on the internet to find out the details you have been provided are true and correct.

If the person wanting your room is an out of town person, get them to contact you when they are in town.

There are many scams floating around out there just waiting for the next ‘sucker’ don’t be that person, besides there are many legitimate locals who will seek out your room, and you won’t be taken for a ride.

In the event you are scammed, contact your local police and Federal Police in your state and lodge a formal statement at your local police station.