# Is this some type of apartment renting scam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523 "2009-02-26T16:44:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/1 "2009-02-26T16:44:43Z")
My girlfriend is hunting for a new apartment in New York City and she’s stumbled across two offers that we both found suspicious. I can’t see the scam here, but I suspect there is one. Both places - one in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn - look beautiful, to the point that the prices are ridiculously low and include all utilities, even Internet service, which is not normal. Both are being offered by women who say they are construction engineers now based in the UK, now looking for a subletter for a period of years. The “problem,” they each say (and this is where I start to get suspicious) is that they have to arrange a way for the renter to get the keys and there’s no way they can get anybody to show the place. One of the two pitched using a service to handle delivering the keys and making payments. Am I being too suspicious for once and turning up my nose at a good deal, or is there a con here? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/2 "2009-02-26T16:51:13Z")
There’s a new Nigerian scam that does something like this. The ads show up a lot on Craigslist. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/3 "2009-02-26T17:02:36Z")
That’s where she found both of these ads, not that that’s very surprising. So in this case, the scam would be that she sends money to the service for the keys and they just never show up? ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/4 "2009-02-26T17:12:19Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s where she found both of these ads, not that that’s very surprising. So in this case, the scam would be that she sends money to the service for the keys and they just never show up? You may get some keys, but they won’t be to the apartment in question. The person on the other most likely doesn’t have any connection to that apartment… not the leaseholder and probably hasn’t ever been in the building. It has the elements of a pig in a poke scam… hoping that you’ll be so enthralled with the price you’re getting that you’ll overlook the glaring red flags, like renting an apartment you haven’t seen or giving someone money quickly before checking out the details. ---
**Author:** ![BlueOhio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@BlueOhio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueOhio)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/5 "2009-02-26T17:30:07Z")
That fact that they represent themselves as 2 separate people - but who are both construction engineers (and both women), sounds really fishy to me as well. What are the odds? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/6 "2009-02-26T17:33:05Z")
Yeah, that’s why I mentioned it. The Craigslist posts are also much better written than the emails they sent my girlfriend, which to me indicates they’re working off a script or a guideline with the postings, but when they send emails and have to improvise they don’t do as well. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/7 "2009-02-26T18:03:03Z")
If they were really engineers, their standard of writing would be high to reflect their education, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/8 "2009-02-26T18:21:44Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > If they were really engineers, their standard of writing would be high to reflect their education, wouldn’t it? Hilarious - obviously you don’t have the same customers that I do … ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/9 "2009-02-26T18:22:55Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > If they were really engineers, their standard of writing would be high to reflect their education, wouldn’t it? People don’t become engineers because of their high literary skills. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/10 "2009-02-26T18:41:52Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > People don’t become engineers because of their high literary skills. Baloney. Engineers have to be capable of effectively communicating in writing, or they don’t make very good engineers. Also, getting through an engineering program and passing the requisite licensing exams tends to screen out your average illiterate. Not to say that there isn’t the occasional exception to the rule, though. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/11 "2009-02-26T18:46:42Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Baloney. Engineers have to be capable of effectively communicating in writing, or they don’t make very good engineers. Also, getting through an engineering program and passing the requisite licensing exams tends to screen out your average illiterate. > > Not to say that there isn’t the occasional exception to the rule, though. Right – they have to be literate enough to pass exams and write reports. That doesn’t mean that they can or do write flawless emails. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/12 "2009-02-26T18:52:01Z")
Instead of just tossing around stereotypes and guesses, anyone got any real evidence about engineers’ writing ability versus the general population? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/13 "2009-02-26T18:53:31Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Instead of just tossing around stereotypes and guesses, anyone got any real evidence about engineers’ writing ability versus the general population? Maybe you could start a separate thread in IMHO? Please? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/14 "2009-02-26T18:55:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Maybe you could start a separate thread in IMHO? Please? What he said, pretty please? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/15 "2009-02-26T19:10:35Z")
[Scene Initech. Bob Slydell and Bob Porter are interviewing Tom.] BOB SLYDELL So what you do is you take the specifications from the customers and you bring them down to the software engineers? TOM That, that’s right. BOB PORTER Well, then I gotta ask, then why can’t the customers just take the specifications directly to the software people, huh? TOM Well, uh, uh, uh, because, uh, engineers are not good at dealing with customers. BOB SLYDELL You physically take the specs from the customer? TOM Well, no, my, my secretary does that, or, or the fax. BOB SLYDELL Ah. BOB PORTER Then you must physically bring them to the software people. TOM Well…no. Yeah, I mean, sometimes. BOB SLYDELL Well, what would you say… you do here? TOM Well, look, I already told you. I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don’t have to!! I have people skills!! I am good at dealing with people!!! Can’t you understand that?!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!! [Link.](http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/o/office-space-script-transcript.html) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/16 "2009-02-26T19:15:07Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > [Scene Initech. Bob Slydell and Bob Porter are interviewing Tom.] Umm, have we not asked nicely for an end to this hijack? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/17 "2009-02-26T19:22:46Z")
This apartment-hunting thing, if it works out, sounds like a great way to meet Richard Jenkins, though. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/18 "2009-02-26T19:22:59Z")
Yes, it’s a [scam](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/02/11/2008-02-11_craigslist_scams_targeting_renters_despe-2.html). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/19 "2009-02-26T19:48:00Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Yes, it’s a [scam](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/02/11/2008-02-11_craigslist_scams_targeting_renters_despe-2.html). > [@](#): > > “People need to remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Very true. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523/20 "2009-02-26T21:02:14Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Instead of just tossing around stereotypes and guesses, anyone got any real evidence about engineers’ writing ability versus the general population? No evidence, but I have two sons who have engineering degrees and both are excellent writers. One has published two books. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-some-type-of-apartment-renting-scam/487523.md?page=2)