Letter: Someone else listed my condo

Dear Editor:

Someone else listed my condo on-line, using my name and actual address.

The rental offer was “too good to be true” – very cheap. I live in a condo that should rent for $1000 a month, and I only pay $800. The ad offered my place for $450 month.

When the people responded to the ad, this guy tells them he is out of state and will have to mail the keys to them. A couple of Flagler students (who now rent in the next building) told me that they told the guy to send them key’s — but he told them he was having “second thoughts” and needs to be sure they were trustworthy and have the money to rent the place.

The students later told me they were asked to put up a “deposit” of $250 and the first month’s rent — which they had expected. This con man told them to take the money to Western Union and to e-mail the $700 receipt to him, proving they were good for it.

It was three days AFTER they paid this crook before they ever knocked or my door.

What made it worse was they blamed me for the scam and threatened to sue me. They called the police from my front door. I was cool with that because the boyfriend had loaned the money to his girl and he was ready to attack me when I told them to leave.

When I asked them why they waited so long to ask me, one of them told me that they just assumed I was the current tenant and would be leaving on the first of the month. They were so duped by the ridiculously low rent offer that they didn’t hesitate.

The police told the students that this guy could use the receipt, and probably a fake ID, to pick up the money anywhere in the world, and that there was not much they could do about it.

Just wanted you to be made aware of it.

Will Turner
St. Augustine, FL

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News contributed photograph