WIRE FRAUD SCAM ALERT
We recently learned of a wire fraud scam connected with rental properties. These sham transactions have been identified in at least the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
In this scam, the scammer advertises a property to rent on a website with only an email address to contact them. After a potential tenant expresses interest, he/she is contacted by email (in Dutch) for more information. The scammers provide the address of the property and some general information and then asks to communicate further (in English) – and by email only. If the potential tenant reacts positively to this request, pictures are sent along with information about the property and instructions for wiring money (1 or 2 months rent) to consolidate the deal so they can send the keys of the property and the legal documents to the ALLIANCE REAL ESTATE to handle the transaction. Once the money is wired, there is no further contact.
Under no circumstances should you wire any money in this situation. You should always verify the legitimacy of any real estate transaction before transferring any funds. Please contact the ALLIANCE REAL ESTATE, COMPANY first to verify the legitimacy of any transaction. Offices can be found here:www.alliancerealestate.company
We want to alert consumers to this scam so that you can take measures to ensure the security of your information and to protect yourselves. For more information on wire-fraud scams or to report an incident, please refer to the following links:
Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov/
Internet Crime Complaint Center: http://www.ic3.gov/
National White Collar Crime Center: http://www.nw3c.org/
On Guard Online: http://www.onguardonline.gov/
FTC toll-free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
FTC online complaint form (http://www.ftc.gov/)
Canadian PhoneBusters hotline: 888-495-8501
Internet Fraud Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov/)
Non-emergency number for your local police department.
The government agency in your country responsible for dealing with fraud.
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