I got an email from the one of the guy described in chats. To convenience me he sends his photo and family phot and he sends me his passport as well and that sounds me little worried because shares his details. Below is his latest email I got it.
Hi again,
I will do my best to be as transparent as possible during the whole transaction. To build up confidence and gain peace of mind, I have attached a copy of my PASSPORT to this email. Also, please know that you will receive official documents from Airbnb also, before depositing them.
Regarding the process, you will have to deposit the first-month rent + last month's rent, a total of 1400 (700+700), to Airbnb so that they can proceed with the shipping of the rental package (keys and documentation). Please note that Airbnb will HOLD your deposit (escrow) until you receive the rental package (keys and documents) and go and inspect the apartment. Please know that I will pay for all the fees that Airbnb will take. (transaction and shipping fees).
Below I will explain step by step how the transaction with Airbnb works. To avoid any misunderstanding, please READ CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
1 - To start the process, all I need is your contact information: full name, mailing address (street, number, city, and postal code), cell phone number, a move-in date, and lease agreement preferred (e.g., 6 months or 1-year rental contract with the option of renewal). The lease agreement will be a standard one.
2 - Once I have your contact information and your approval, I will go to the Airbnb office (UK) to start the transaction. I will give them the apartment keys and necessary documents.
3 - Airbnb will check everything, including the ownership documents. If everything is in order, they will proceed with the transaction. They will also confirm that I'm the legal owner of the apartment I'm renting to you.
4 - Airbnb will send you a notification (via email) where they will inform you that the keys and the documents are in their custody. They will also send you all the steps, how to proceed, and all the transaction details.
5 - At this point, you need to send the amount of 1400$(1st-month rent + last month rent) to the Airbnb payments representative (lawyer escrow account) provided to you in the notification. THE PAYMENT NEEDS TO BE SENT WITHIN 24 BUSINESS HOURS AFTER YOU WILL RECEIVE THE TRANSACTION DETAILS, OR ELSE THEY WILL CHARGE ME AN ADDITIONAL FEE.
6 - As soon as the payment is completed, you need to send the payment details to Airbnb. (a copy of the receipt proving that you sent them the deposit).
7 - Airbnb will verify the payment. If everything is in order, they will start shipping procedures using UPS Next Day Shipping Service.
8 - You will receive the package (keys and documents), and you will have 5 business days (inspection time) to check the place and decide if you want to rent it.
9 - If you decide to rent the apartment, you need to sign the lease agreement that Airbnb sends, email it to them, and they will release the funds to me. If, after the 5 days inspection, you decide not to rent the apartment, Airbnb will refund the whole deposit.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Airbnb insures your deposit, and this means that if you do not sign the lease agreement for any reason, Airbnb will refund you the whole deposit, so you are 100% protected.
- They CANNOT release the funds without your approval, and they can do it ONLY after you send them the lease agreement with your signature. (after the 5 days inspection period).
- Airbnb will send you official documents (invoice, rental agreement, and insurance document) BEFORE sending the deposit to them.
From my perspective, everything is safe, and the reward for going forward with this process is significant. Also, because it's a SELF-SHOWING process, I find it usual (common sense) that you need to make the deposit first, as a guarantee. I hope you share my opinion because I cannot modify the transaction terms in any way, so PLEASE READ CAREFULLY ALL THE TRANSACTION STEPS.
Let me know if you have the funds available (1400$) so we can move forward. If you have the funds available and agree with the transaction steps, please email me your full information (full name and address, and cell number) to get the transaction started.
If you have any further questions regarding the transaction, please let me know.
I am waiting for your reply!