Rif.: Affitto a lungo termine. Truffa?

Pearl22
Level 2
Mechelen, Belgium

Rif.: Affitto a lungo termine. Truffa?

Hello,

 

I have been contacted by a certain 'Christopher Pohl' as well, but the advertisement stated that the accommodation is located in Padova. I think I contacted him via idealista (or subito), but he removed the advertisement on the site.

Can you let me know if the pictures he has sent me are the same ones as that you received for the apartment in via Italia 44, Monza?Giam.jpg
I responded that I was interested and he's sent me this e-mail:
"Hello and sorry for my late reply. I hope you are still interested.

 
Thanks for information, I think we can reach an agreement. The apartment has 2 rooms: one bedroom and one living room.
 
Let me tell you something about us: we are a respectable family, my adorable wife is 36 years old and I am 39 years old, we like nature and animals. I worked until one year ago in Italy as an engineer in pharmaceutical domain. We moved back to France to be closer to our families and we decided to rent our flat from Italy.
 
For us it's quite difficult to come often in Italy because we have two small kids. We decided to rent it through Airbnb. If you agree, we are old members and renting the apartments through them in the past was very safe and easy. You can rent the apartment for long periods, up to 10 years.
 
I will wait your answer asap. If you agree i will explain you how we can do it.
 
Thank you,
Christopher Pohl"

After that he's sent me this e-mail:

pohl.jpg
I did a counter-proposal to only rent it for a few days before I will book the long term stay, but he responded this:
"I am sorry but you can visit the apartment only after you make the booking and payment for Airbnb. You should not have any concern, they maintain and ensure your money until you have decide if you want to keep it or not. If you are not satisfied with the apartment, the Airbnb agent will refund your money same day.
I have already paid for their services so you don't have to pay extra money, even if you don't want to keep the apartment after inspection with the agent."

I have already contacted Airbnb directly to be sure that I will not be scammed.
Greetings,
Pearl
 
13 Replies 13
Steve143
Level 10
Limerick, Ireland

Hello @Pearl22,

 

This a scam.

 

This site is a forum where Airbnb members help each other with advice from their own experience. It's not Airbnb support so it's not possible to answer the question about the photos.

 

It is a scam as he claims that an Airbnb agent will meet you. This is not true. Airbnb doesn't operate that way. He also claims that you must pay three months in advance and that two of those are the returnable deposit. This is a big warning of a scam as Airbnb takes only one month in advance and does not charge an advance deposit.

 

The only way to book a place on Airbnb is to visit the Airbnb site, find a place you want, book it on the site and pay via the site with the card you have registered on Airbnb. If the place is not on the Airbnb website then it's not a valid Airbnb listing and is a scam.

 

Steve.

 

 

 

Thank you Steve for your response!

 
Pearl22
Level 2
Mechelen, Belgium

 

He has also sent me a fake link: https://airbnb.com.rooms0014371.long-let04628.com/1/listing/23/view-6ab7oe1g/AG2-E_1_pg#host-profile. I assume it is fake, because I 'logged in' with an e-mailadres and password that was non-existent and 'I was logged in' anyways. I've done a search for his profile picture on google and the man on the picture is Noel Fitzpatrick (and not someone who is called Christopher Pohl). I couldn't click further on some of the titles (like the profiles of the reviews) so it probably is indeed a scam.
 
chir.jpgchrish.jpg
Kate585
Level 1
Dublin, Ireland

Hi, I recently received the exact same email from 'Christopher Pohl' about the apartment although the photos are different. Is this definitely a scam?

Roberta2
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Yes, link is not an official Airbnb link

Kate585
Level 1
Dublin, Ireland

Also Pearl, I think I might have found a 3 bedroom apartment in Padova for myself and my friend (2 Irish students), if you are interested in the third room? 

Hey, I'm interested! I will only stay for 6 months though (September until February, for an Erasmus exchange) if that's not a problem 🙂

 

Hey if youre interested, do you want to give me your email address and I can discuss further with you in private? 

It's pearl.ferrant@gmail.com. If you prefer to contact me via Facebook: My name is Pearl Ferrant

 

@Kate585Tagging you to make sure you'll get a notification lol

 

AIRBNB has no agents to meet you and show the houses, @Pearl22. A foreign owner who lives abroad with children: that’s a classic scam that runs on the net. It’s advisable to notify the Padua Postal Police.

Good to know 🙂

Salve, mi chiamo Giada sono stata contattata recentemente da un signore che dice di essere inglese e vorrebbe affittare la sua casa a Roma.

Ci sono moltissime analogie con la tua conversazione col signor Christopher Pohl quindi mi sono seriamente insospettita, ho anche fatto una ricerca su google con le foto che mi ha inviato per farmi vedere casa, presto risolto confermo che anche io stavo per essere truffata.

Il signore che mi ha mandato l'email che dice di essere stato contattato dalla stessa airbnb comunicando che i miei parametri di ricerca corrispondevano appieno alla sua proposta. Il nome del signore è: Dr Harvey Wright dice di essere un veterinario inglese costretto per cause famigliari a ritornare a Londra.

La contrattazione e la visita della casa corrispondono appieno all'email che hanno mandato a te.

Ringrazio chiunque sia intervenuto alla tua email, ha aiutato anche me a scoprire questa truffa.