cReelEstate.com

Having lived in Bellevue for many years now, I've really come to love the cities vibrant atmosphere and certainly the fine foods offered downtown.  Bellevue is a rapidly growing city located in King County, Washington, just a stones throw across Lake Washington from Seattle.

In 2003 the Census Bureau estimated the city had a total population of 112,344, making it the fifth largest city in the state and the largest on the Eastside of King County. According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management's April 1, 2006 estimate, the city has a population of 117,000. Based on per capita income, Bellevue is the 15th wealthiest of 522 communities in the state of Washington.

Since I've lived here, downtown Bellevue has undergone massive change. Lincoln Square, which opened in 2005, appears to be the leading edge of a development boom, and has the only theater I've ever been in that has leather reclining seats! Recently I've noticed the addition of Lucky Strike Bowling Lanes, an ultra-modern facility with full night-life amenities, and the newest dance club to open is Vertigo, which offers live DJ music and dancing. There is also Joeys, The Twisted Cork Restaurant, Daniels Steak House (all at the Hyatt), and The Parlor Billiards in Lincoln Square for your entertainment.

A Bit of History

Bellevue was founded in 1869 by William Meydenbauer and was officially incorporated on March 21, 1953. Prior to the opening of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge in 1940, Bellevue was a rural area with little development. Following the 1963 opening of a second bridge across the lake, the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, the city began to grow.

A testament to Bellevue's growth over the years is Bellevue Square, now one of the largest shopping centers in the region. Opened in 1946, Bellevue Square underwent a significant expansion in the 1980s. More recently, an expansion to Bellevue Square along Bellevue Way called "The Lodge" and the new One Lincoln Towerpromise to strengthen downtown Bellevue's role as the largest Seattle Eastside shopping and dining destination.

The Bravern, a large mixed-use project currently under construction, will feature a Neiman Marcus (the first in the Pacific Northwest), along with an assortment of upscale stores.

Other projects in Bellevue's future include Meydenbauer Place, a new Performing Arts Center, a second City Center office tower (which broke ground in July 2006), three more residential towers, and resumption of work on the previously abandoned Tech Tower site, now called Tower.

Bellevue is bordered by the cities of Kirkland to the north and Redmond to the northeast along the Overlake and Crossroads neighborhoods. Across the short East Channel Bridge, I-90 connects Bellevue to Mercer Island to the southwest. Issaquah is to the east, down I-90 at the south end of Lake Sammamish. The city is also bordered to the west by the affluent suburbs of Medina, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point and Yarrow Point. The south end of Bellevue is bordered by the city of Renton, and to the southeast, the relatively recently incorporated city of Newcastle.

According to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $76,757, and the median income for a family was $89,020. Males had a median income of $56,456 versus $37,124 for females. The per capita income for the city was $36,905. About 3.8% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Bellevue was rated one of the 25 safest cities in America, based on the per-capita incidence of violent crime. Bellevue is rapidly growing in size and diversity; nearly a third of the city's residents are foreign-born, up from a quarter five years ago. Bellevue has the highest percentage of foreign-born residents among major cities in the state. The largest communities come from China, India, Russia and Mexico.

Bellevue has the largest and most affluent Asian population in the state. As of 2005, 25% of the city's residents identify themselves as Asian, a rise from 17% in 2000. East Indian and Chinese communities have doubled in size since 2000. Bellevue is home to Bellevue
Community College (BCC) and City University. The highly rated BCC is the largest community college in Washington and the third largest institution of higher education in the state^.

The city hosts the Bellevue School District. There are four main public high schools - Bellevue High School, Interlake High School, Newport High School, and Sammamish High School, as well as two alternative high schools, International School and Robinswood High School. At the elementary level, Bellevue is home to the Eastside's only Waldorf Education, at Three Cedars School, and to several Montessori schools.

Overall, I have to say Bellevue is definitely one of the finest city's one could ever hope to live in and raise a family. Over the years I've had the great pleasure of selling many beautiful homes in this area, and making many good friends in the process. It is definitely deserving of the the title Bellevue the Beautiful.

The 23-acre Lake Boren Park at the base of Olympus is a major asset to the neighborhood and a gathering place for many Newcastle residents. With a large play area, sand volleyball court, tennis courts, walking trails and a fishing dock, it's a very popular destination. The homeowners association, which meets monthly, hosts an annual neighborhood garage sale and Easter egg hunt.

"The upscale Olympus neighborhood in Newcastle lives up to the grandeur its name implies, with sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains, Lake Washington and Mount Rainier, along with well-kept yards and homes," writes Jolene Gensheimer in a special to The Seattle Times Real Estate section on Sunday, October 14th, 2007.

Olympus is served by two school districts: Issaquah and Renton. Both elementary schools have new buildings, with Issaquah's Newcastle Elementary, which opened in 2004, and Renton's Hazelwood Elementary, which opened in 2005. The neighborhood also has wide streets, making it a good place for walkers and bicyclists, as well as walking trails and a large greenbelt.

The well-maintained yards and homes are a trademark of Olympus and are enforced by neighborhood covenants. For example, residents need to submit a paint sample before painting their home, and there are codes requiring residents to keep their yards maintained (believe me, I've been warned before)!

Olympus is also a short walk from the Coal Creek Park Trails; the park trails serve the city as a refuge from the urban sprawl with a trail through a narrow creek ravine leading to two waterfalls and several excellent historical sites. The trail through Coal Creek Park is one of the most fascinating hikes anywhere around Puget Sound.

It features several waterfalls, a small canyon, and an environment typical of the Cascade foothills, the park stretches the boundary between the suburbs of Bellevue and the natural areas of the Issaquah Alps, a green belt pointing from the foot of Cougar Mountain through the rows of houses along Lake Washington's eastern shore.

What makes Coal Creek Park so unique is that in the late 1800s, when forest still reached all the way to the shores of Elliot Bay and today's Eastside was mostly untracked wilderness, the park was the site of the Newcastle coal mine. As you hike the trail, you may get glimps's of remaining vestiges of the mining days, clues to the story of Newcastle coal; hence the name Coal Creek.

So anyone in need of a special place to spend a hot summer day, pack the family into the car and head to Newcastle and visit our park, our trails, and maybe even grab a round of golf at the club. The music is great each Wednesday in June through August, and the BBQ pits are going full blast. We hope to see you there, tell them Mike sent you!

Since writing a post on Scam Operating on Craigslist.com last year, I've received dozens of emails and phone calls thanking me for the post and asking many questions.

The most interesting call I received was from a homeowner in Florida that called after being approached by a man expressing interest in a home she had for rent. She knew something smelled fishy and felt it to be a scam, but couldn't quite figure out what was up since it didn't involve cashiers checks or Western Union as the standard scam does.

After speaking with her at length and helping her reach a conclusion, it was apparent to me it was worthy of a post. These challenging times are making many property owners anxious to find renters to cover those mortgages, and often many are inclined to bend common sense rules and take big chances when it comes to renting their home out. 

The homeowner described the following: She was offered cash for the rental by a fellow claiming to be rather wealthy, he said he was getting a divorce and wanted the rental to be a secret. He wanted a lease, but would offer no identification whatsoever (refused). He wanted to pay several months in cash, which he had a lot of, yet he drove an old beat-up car. He said he owned many luxury cars (even two Hummers), but they were all currently loaned out (but of course, he explained, she would see them at the home periodically in the future).

The owner was actually contemplating renting the home to the man due to her need for cash, she had even taken a deposit. After bouncing the info around in my thick skull, I felt it sounded like someone acting as a "front-man" to rent the home for illegal purposes. It could be a safe house for illegal aliens, or drugs, and it could be to run a drug dealing or manufacturing operation. One thing was for sure, he was up to no good.

After discussing my thoughts with her, and pointing out that anyone would be foolish to rent to a person that refuses to offer proof of identity (to say the least), she decided to return the cash deposit and not enter into the lease with him. As I told her, I know the money would be nice to have, but imagine what it will cost you if they set-up a meth lab in there. Many vacant homes are even being used without the owners knowledge for illegal purposes (People seem to believe walking away from a home ends their responsibility).

As the market becomes flooded with rental properties, many owners will feel inclined to rent to anyone with cash in hand. If you do so, you may be making a mistake so enormous that the consequences' will make your current financial issues seem trivial.

Facts About Meth Lab Clean-Up

Recently my step-son backed into the garage door, which apparently can affect it's operation. As a result of this oversight, I spent Saturday shopping for a new garage door. I really hadn't a clue as to what to expect cost-wise, and I began on the web with my search (as all things begin these days). I first learned that if you have the guts to install it yourself, you can actually get a 16x7 foot door for about five or six hundred (medium quality).

I decided against the gutsy route rather quickly, and went to Home Depot to look at their doors. Their doors aren't cheap, and for the cheapest door they had (metal, with no insulation or windows), installed, would be about $1,400 with tax. We decided to stop over at Lowe's and compare prices, which turned out to be a wise move. At Lowe's this same type of door came in at around 900 with tax (right).

I decided I didn't want the cheapest door in town, but wasn't looking to shell out over three grand for a top of the line wooden door either. I settled on the 4th (out of five rankings) best door Lowe's had in the metal variety.

This type of door offered double metal and a thin layer of insulation, and came in at $1,200 with tax and installation, which apparently takes about 3-4 weeks (left).

An extra $300 would have actually got me their best door, with the heavy insulation (lower right), but times are frugal and one must cut back here and there to survive. The best door at Home Depot was of the same quality and would have been a little over $2,000.

Now Lowes did have a super cheap door that was around $600 installed, but only comes in white. There are so many types and styles of doors to choose from these days it's mind boggling. Just adding windows to your door is about $256.00 extra on average.

Suffice it to say, one can spend anywhere from $600 to $4,000 or more for a door, but for the average Joe, you can squeak by at about a thousand for a quality door installed with a 20 year warranty. So it wasn't as bad as I had thought; when my wife and I stood there looking at that mangled door, she asked "How much" and I could only say "I have no idea".

Now I know, as do you.

I can't help but to notice that builders have gotten much kinder towards RE agents lately. Wasn't so long ago they did all they could to keep us off their developments, and discouraged buyers from using an independent agent. Now that people aren't flocking out there on weekends for hot-dogs and soda's , and lining up to sign on the dotted line, builders want to be our best buds.

I see listings now that actually say "Agent Friendly", and many offering higher than usual commissions. Last week a client came to me and asked me to find them a new home because the builder they had pre-purchased with, had filed bankruptcy. I was also asked to make sure homes we view are owned by a builder thats financially sound.

When a homebuilder goes bankrupt, the company's creditors aren't the only ones who suffer. Often, so do those who have paid hefty deposits for houses that remain unbuilt and new homeowners living in a development with half-built homes and incomplete amenities.

When these builders file for bankruptcy, subcontractors stop working, unfinished homes in various stages dot the communities, crippling liens are placed on occupied homes, clubhouses are incomplete and swimming pools and parks are never built.

People who have placed deposits on homes either never get their money back or face delays of months or years before it is returned. The houses sit until someone comes in and decides to complete them; buyers can't move in, get their deposit back, or get out of the contract."

As for the houses partly under construction, what most likely happens is that the lenders or another entity steps in and hire the trades to finish those houses, the home buyer will then get the house he or she contracted for. In the meantime, the home buyer is "stuck" and can't get out of the legally binding contract.

In a new twist on the housing crisis, homeowners are being sued by landscapers and contractors after the property builders go bankrupt. If features like fountains and concrete foundations have not been paid for, the contractors are increasingly going after the homeowners for the balance. The landscapers, the people that put in windows, the deck, the doorways, and the concrete guys, are just a few of the workers seeking payment from homeowners.

So for those of you that are waiting on your builder to finish, or even start construction of your new home, do your homework and make sure the company is on solid financial ground. Any potential new construction buyer would be prudent to bring their own Realtor with them to view homes in a new development. This is no time to go it alone, the dollar you think your saving now, may cost you a fortune later.

No one loves animals more than me, but I can assure you, that's not a sentiment shared by all. There have been many times when touring homes with clients that the cute little Chihuahua, Pekinese, or other miniature dog has cost the seller a sale.

Tiny dogs can be aggressive, and love to bark; I once had a showing whereas the little dog that was chained to a table in the kitchen never stopped yapping, and then tried to bite the buyers little boy.

He of course starting crying and that was the end of that tour. Not surprisingly, that home never did sell, and was eventually taken off the Market.

Then there was the pit bull in the garage day (sounded like he was going to rip through the door), and the giant iguana on the sofa day, the stinky squawking parrot day, and just yesterday, a gigantic old fat Doberman in the back yard (friendly but huge). Fortunately, I went outside and entertained the former beast while my clients looked around the property. I assure you, not all agents will do that, because many are more terrified of dogs than their clients.

As sellers, you must keep in mind that although you know and love your pet, and you know it "wouldn't hurt a flea", others have no way of knowing that. At the very least, the animals are distracting. The obviously friendly ones want attention, they've been locked in the house alone all day and here comes people walking in the door; to the pet, it's party time! Also, buyers don't want your dog's hair all over their nice clothes, and many are allergic.

Keep in mind, the items left in the kitchen for such pets can be troublesome as well, and in some case, downright disgusting. Last week my client accidentally kicked over a gigantic water bowl in the kitchen, so I got to spend the next ten minutes sopping up water with paper towels while my clients toured the home alone.

That home is still for sale. I'll spare you the Poo stories, I'm sure you get the picture.

Many homes of course have cats, and for the most part they're little to no trouble. Of course, many people are allergic to cats, so you pretty much rule out a sale to those buyers.

So sellers, keep in mind, it's challenging enough selling your home for a good price these days. You don't help the situation if you leave Cujo in the yard (or garage), or Tinker Bell in the house to distract, annoy, or scare the potential buyers. You don't want to take your pets with you because they will drive you crazy, so don't leave them behind to drive your potential buyer crazy, and quite likely, away. Don't let you pet, be our pest.

By Michael Creel
February 26, 2008

As the foreclosure rates increase across the nation thousands are finding themselves homeless for the first times in their lives. Nationally, 233,001 homeowners received notice from lenders last month due to overdue payments; that's a 57% increase from a year prior.

We hear phrases used such as "they lost their house", when the truth is many of these people are now homeless. These people now have ruined credit scores in a society that makes just about every decision based on that score. Employer's pull credit on job applicants, landlords for rental approval, insurance companies to set your rates, and of course credit card companies.

Credit card companies can even close the debtors account even if they are current in their payments; a sort of preemptive strike against the cardholder running up a debt they cannot afford to pay.

Where will all of these people go? How do you rent an apartment or home with a foreclosure on your record? How do you buy a car to go to work? These people, who were our clients not so long ago, now may find themselves living in a shelter and the family pet they once loved sitting at the pound.

Sadly, even house pets have found themselves homeless as a result of the fiasco, and are being abandoned  across the nation. Although there is no way to track the actual number of abandoned pets, it's thought to be in the thousands. There have even been instances where pets were found starving inside abandoned homes and had to be Euthenized.

What can we do?

Maybe we can lighten up on judging people by what credit bureaus say, and talk to the people themselves and see what's in their heart. I recently rented a home of mine to a fellow who had gone through a divorce, and I ran no credit report on him. He impressed me as being a good person, with a good heart, and he had a good job (that's still required). I also knew his employer does strict background checks and drug screening, so that helped.

He was quite surprised when he asked how long before he had an answer regarding his application, and I said you can move in tomorrow. He was shocked and quite happy to say the least. He's been an ideal renter, always pays on time, and keeps the property spotless.

Now to be honest, he may very well have impeccable credit, to this day I still don't know. My point is that intuition still works, and some of these thousands of people out there will need a break. They will need landlords that will judge them by their character, and the fact that they have a job and need a home for their family.

So I would ask those of you that are in a position to give somebody a break, and a chance to start over, to consider doing so. I'm certainly not suggesting you should rent to anyone that comes down the pike, and criminal background checks are still a must, but a person shouldn't live and die by their FICO. Perhaps just ask to look through their foreclosure docs and get a feel for what happened to them, after all, they're not alone in this, it's happened to a lot of good people.  

Also, if you want a pet, go adopt one (I did), they could use a break too!

In the wake of the mortgage industry crises, we are all learning of the rampant fraud that pervaded the industry played a key role in its collapse. Many mortgagees have fallen victim to unscrupulous lender practices and dishonest mortgage officers. I have yet to encounter a worse case of repeated victimization than the one whom is the center of this story. For those victims that want to take legal action against anyone in the mortgage industry, read this story and take heed.

Last year I had a client that was the victim of a Straw Mortgage scam artist. I handled the short sell on the property and in the process learned more about straw mortgages than I ever cared to. One thing that was clear, there is no shortage of homes that were sold in this manner. Typically they involve an inflated appraiser, an unscrupulous mortgage broker, and a very crooked closing agent (usually an attorney).

In the end obviously the home is "sold" for far more than it's worth (almost always a FSBO). Then a few months later the home is abandoned and foreclosed on. What was also apparent was that often comps were skewed by the presence of such homes in some areas. In one case I saw 2 such homes on one block, and the other homes for sale weren't selling because they were over priced. The prices were based on the sellers and agents belief that homes on the street were selling for far more than they actually had.

I've warned many clients that are licking their chops looking at the list of foreclosures to be careful. Just because there's a debt of 700k on the home and you may be able to get it for 80% of that, doesn't mean it's a deal. It may have only actually sold for 80% of that and the difference was pocketed. Often the seller was still paid more than it was worth (even at 80%) as an enticement to go along with the scam.

So in the end you're buying homes you can't preview, can't inspect, and have to pay cash for; for possibly more than it's worth. I'm certainly not saying most repossessed homes fall into this category, but one never knows. I tell them to look and see how long the owners had it before walking away; that can be a clue. This type of activity certainly played a role in the collapse of the mortgage industry.

I thought I had heard it all, but then a salesman tried to sell me fake grass (no, not the smokable kind). I sometimes wish I had bought it; especially when paying the bill for a certain chemical company to treat my lawn every six weeks. I don't even want to talk about the water bills for the months of May, June, and July or the weekends lost to cutting the grass and trimming the foliage.

These days if your lawn looks raggedy your neighbors give you the evil eye and the homeowner's association puts a nasty little note on your door, so you gotta pay to a bundle to have a lawn that looks like it should have a little flag on it. When I was a kid growing up under the hot Texas sun we never once watered or fertilized our lawn. It looked great during the cooler months and it baked to a nice golden brown in the summer. I rather enjoyed the crunchy sound it made when you walked on it.

I still daydream about calling that fella and buying that fake grass, especially when those bills come. I am curious though, who has this modern day Astro Turf in their yard? I've never run into it while showing homes, so I was curious if any of you had? Would it raise or hurt a homes value?

I wish it would catch on so I could jump on the band wagon; I could then slowly replace the trees and shrubbery with plastic versions. Maybe even put a few fake birds in the trees, and,...yes, even pipe in a sound track so you could hear the birds singing.

My own little plastic Utopia!

As you may have read in my previous Blog, the Nigerian 419 scam has invaded our very own realty market here in Washington State. This is a fairly sophisticated scam that many people have fallen for and lost thousands in the process. Any clients you may have that are intending to buy property for the purpose of renting it out needs to be aware of this situation.

One popular free advertising source known as Craiglist.com is a steady source of victims for the scam artist operating out of Nigeria and the UK. However, it's not uncommon for listings on the MLS to receive such offers as well. There are three groups involved in perpetrating the scam. The first bunch are known as the Yahoo Boys, and they are the ones that scour the web for email address regarding rental properties. They send out emails by the thousands in the hope a few will respond.

Once someone has they may pass it on to another scammer that's experienced in the art of reeling the victim in (2^nd level). All of this activity is watched over by the ring leaders (3^rd level) that actually monitor all of the email accounts to insure the "worker bees" are performing correctly, and if it appears one is dropping the ball they will pull him out and bring in another more experienced player.

The ringleaders collect the funds and actually pay commissions down the line to the boys that reeled them in. Many of the Yahoo Boys are college students and are given computers and promises of big money to participate; they view it as a job. It's not any different from Americas own drug dealers luring kids in to selling drugs for them. A great deal of this type of activity takes place in internet cafés, but often the kids are provided laptops and internet connections to work from home.

I recently ran an ad on craigslist.com to see if they were still working it. Craigslist has posted many warnings against responding to such solicitations and I was curious if the scammers had moved on to more fertile ground. They have not; I   received 16 such inquiries in one day to a simple ad offering a room for rent in Bellevue. I used a fictitious identity and a newly created email address. I'll use the emails from just one of them as an example. This particular scammer managed to have a check on my doorstep by the next day!

This is a common type of email sent in search of victims and is sent to dozens of people at a time (they are often poorly written):

First response to my ad offering a room for rent in my home:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi ,
I am willing to rent a room or seek roommates who is nice and honest. My name is Helen and I am 28yrs, Single, never been married, I am originally from Harrisburg, PA but I am currently out of the United States, I should return back to the State, as soon as I am able to secure a room where I will stay.

I am honest, trustworthy and caring person, who enjoy making good friends, I dont smoke and I dont drink ( but I am not against it), my hobbies are traveling, and Singing, I go to a friends party, but I dont stay late at night.

I would have loved to come and look at the room, but I am not in the States yet, so I will trust you on what you tell me regards the room. I am currently working for GVI (GLOBAL VISION INTERNATIONAL) and I travel most times to the UK, I work as resercher on a construction Project/Research and Exploration Expedition.

I am moving back to the States. this very week, I have plans to staying back in the States, and look for a part-time job with my degree in Marketing, have thought about it carefully and I want to move to friendly city, where I can start my own life different from the one I have lived in the UK while working with my company GVI and the part-time job I will get any moment from now.
So I just want you to confirm the rent including utilities and if there is any deposit, whats the amount to move in all together? I am willing to stay for up to 8 months but I can move out during this 8 months if you want me to, as soon as I arrange payment for 2 months rent and deposit, when do I move in?

What is the closest international airport to the house? I will ask my company's associate in the US to send you a payment to cover for 2 months to confirm my willingness to occupy your space.

Please forward me your full details where you would want the payment be mailed to:

(Full Name)......
(Address):.....
(City, Zip Code):...
(Email):...
(Direct Phone):...

Thanks, I will be waiting for your details so I can proceed with the payment, I have also forwarded you my picture so you will know how I look.

Regards,

Helen
+44(0)7031817967

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Once someone has responded and expresses interest in renting to the scammer, they will receive this (already calling themselves your roommate), the "private email address" is actually the pass-off to the more experienced con artist.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Michelle,

How are you doing, This is Helen, your roommate, this is my private email address............. carterplp@yahoo.com, I have forwarded your details and I am looking forward to meet you, so the payment of the room will get to you by Wednesday-Thursday due to the postal system, as soon as you get it do not hesitate to contact me so I can proceed with my flight. I will also need your phone number just in case I want to reach you.

My company associate in the States has issued a cashier's check to cover for the rent and my expenses during my trip to the states, as soon as you get it, deduct your rent for 2 months including deposit and forward the remaining funds to my traveling Agent, through Western Union so I can use it to get my flight ticket. I will be buying a used car when I arrive, I will appreciate it if you can help me remove your ads from the internet so I will be assured that I am the only one contacting you regards the room. do you have YAHOO or MSN instant messenger so we can also talk for free on yahoo, my yahoo chat ID is: carterplp@yahoo.com.

Thanks, I cant wait to meet you in person, I will forward you the tracking number of the package(payment)

Your future roommate,
Helen

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

After a bit of small talk you will receive this email:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Misha,

How are you doing?, I am happy that you will get the payment today, the UPS tracking number is (J2080425169), you can go to http://www.ups.com/USto track the package. I was informed that the $4550 was mailed to you to cover for my rent and my flight ticket to the US, as soon as you get it, go and deposit it in your account, you will help me transfer the balance of $2400 to my traveling agent who is in charge of my flight directly, while the remaining funds will be used towards my rent and utilities. I will be flying on either KLM or British Airways, since I am a member, but will forward you my flight details as soon as it has been scheduled.

Below is my traveling agent's info where you will transfer my ticket funds to, through Western Union Money Transfer, you only need the Agent's Name and City, Zip and country to transfer funds using Western Union Money Transfer.

(Name): TIMOTHY MONTOYA

(City)Port Washington

(State)WI.

(Zip) 53074

I will be expecting the following info from you as soon as you send the funds, I am aware that the Western Union Agent will charge you for sending fee, please use out of the funds to pay the tranfer fee, I will need the info as follows:

(1)Exact Amount Sent(after deducting the transfer charges):................
(2)Senders Name and Address:...........
(3)Money Control Number/Reference Number(MTCN):.........

Please, do make sure the funds are sent same day you get the payment so I can get my ticket on Friday and fly on Saturday, that reminds me, how do I get the keys to the room, will you be available to pick me up on Thursday???.
Thanks, I awaits the Western Union Details.

Regards,
Helen

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Then the sense of urgency begins and often you will receive several emails in rapid succession: 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Misha,

How are you doing, I just got your message, please make sure the funds are wired today, Saturday is my flight, I want to be able to schedule a flight tomorrow, did you get my traveling agent's info?

Thanks, looking forward to meet you.

Helen

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Michelle,

How are you doing, did you get the payment yet, I tracked it and it has been delivered at the front door of your room, so please I will need your swift response ok, I cant wait to meet you, will you be able to pick me up at the airport?

Thanks, will be waiting for the Western Union Details.

Helen

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Because I like to see how they deal different objections I send various responses, this is one I used:  

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Me: Yes, it was there when I got home from school today but it was too late to go to the bank. I talked to my mom today cause I was real excited about you coming here, and she thinks it's a great thing. She did suggest though that I wait until the check clears with the bank before sending any funds to you. I'll have to ask the bank how many days it takes to clear completely, hope that's not a problem luv. I'm really excited about your coming here and I know we're going to be the best of friends! 

Scammer: Hello Misha, How are you doing, I am really excited at the thought of meeting you, I can see that you are nice and honest, I am the same kind of person, I cant wait to meet you, please the bank might want to put 2-3days on it, I wont be able to wait for that long.

I am asking you, if there is anything we can do so I can get my flight, or if there is a way you can borrow money for me and as soon as it clears, we will replace it back. Can we exchange pictures?

Helen

Me: I maybe could borrow some money from my student loan account, but that's about all the money that's in it. If for some reason I couldn't pay it back I wouldn't be able to pay for next semester and I would not be able to attend classes. My mom would just kill me! What's your flight number and departure time?

Scammer: Hello Misha, I really appreciate what you are doing to me, I promise to be the best fried you ever have, please, maybe we shouldnt tell your mom about it, so when the check clears, we can return it back, my flight is Saturday 6pm, I will need to pay my traveling agent before I can get a confirmation for my flight. ok.

Please, I will appreciate it if you can wire the money to my traveling agent today or early tomorrow, It is certain we will replace it back ok. Thanks. Looking forward to meet you

Helen

Me: I do feel like I've known you all my life, and I'm certain I can trust you. Maybe when I go to the bank I should just explain the urgency of the situation and they can call the bank that issued the check to confirm it's good. I'll bet that would solve our problem! What do you think? I hate to lie to my poor mother, she's been really sick with cancer and all and she doesn't feel good. Wouldn't it be better to just ask the bank to help us out? 

Scammer:  Hello Misha, I understand, I wouldn't want you to lie as well, there is nothing the bank can do because it is a policy they must follow, let just see how many days they will ask use to wait then. Thanks, looking forward to meet you.

Helen

(After this email, a more experienced scammer came in. This one was dropping the ball)

Me: Gee thanks, that's a good idea. I knew you would be understanding of the situation. I actually forgot where you're flying from! I see your travel agent is here in the US, did you used to live in that State? I'm still so excited knowing your coming so soon, the weathers still pretty nice so we can spend a little time going downtown and eating at all the beautiful restaurants. What's your favorite kinda food Helen! 

Scammer: Hello Misha, How are you doing, I am exicted about meeting you as well, yes I use to live in Harrisburg, PA and Wi but thats a long time, I am originally from PA. I like lights food, yes we could go out and have a nice time.

Helen

Me: Where are you now, are you in England? I've always wanted to go there! What do you do for work?? I want to be a Hotel Manager, or maybe work on one of those big cruise ships after I graduate. Did you go to college in Harrisburg? You mentioned earlier we could exchange pictures; I don't remember if I ever sent you any or not, so I'll go ahead and attach a few for you now. 

Scammer: How are you doing? I just got your email, I want to know if i can borrow some little funds from you, any amount you have, I will appreciate it. I WANT T RAISE SOME MONEY TO BUY MY FLIGHT BEFORE THE CHECK CLEARS, the days the bank asked you to come seems like a year to me, I will be waiting for your swift response.

miss ya

Helen

Me: How much do you need to borrow sweety? I don't think it will be a big problem. Can you possibly send me a scan of your photo identification, like a driver's license, or school ID? Then I at least know exactly who I'm making the loan too. 

Scammer: Hello Misha, how are you doing? I just got your email, I cant believe you are asking me for these just because I ask you to borrow me some money, I dont have a scanner to scan what you have asked me to send to you.

But, I want you to know that I am an honest person, I cant borrow what I will not pay for, it is very urgent thats the reason why I turned to you for assistance, we are now friends, I can assist you if you want me to as well.....

Please there is no way I can send all this, since I dont have a scanner, I want to believe you trust me right? Please........

Helen

Me: Well, shoot, don't they have places that can scan for you? Oh, wait, I know. Maybe you can just take a picture of it and send that! I would at least like pictures of you or something, I know we're friends and all but I've never even seen you. Plus, you didn't say how much you want me to loan you. I only have about $5,000 in my college loan account that I'm supposed to use for school next semester, if I sent you that I would really need to be sure your going to pay me. If I lose my college money I can't return to school for half a year, and my mothers so sick with cancer I know it would just kill her if I wasn't in school.

It's not that I don't trust you hon, but the check didn't come from you, it came from another person. I have no idea who that person is. What if they cheated you and me both? What should we do Helen???

Scammer: Hello Misha, I just got your email and I believe you, I wouldnt want you to risk anything for your college ok, I will have to wait till the check clears then, I just hope it wont take more than 3day (scammers know the funds are available after 3 days, although the check hasn't cleared), but what I was acutally going to borrow from is $1000 and not $5000, I was just thinking I could be in the State by this new week, so we can visit alot of places together, I am really excited about meeting you, and I know you will make a good friend. I wish you could borrow just the $1000 before noon tomorrow, I would appreciate it, that means I will still be able to fly later in the evening on Saturday.

How is your parents doing, I hope she is using her treatment, where di she travel to? would you like to visit the UK in your holidays? we cna go together and stay in my house here in London.

Thanks, will be waiting for your email.

Helen

Me: So sorry I just got your message Helen, I went to my best friend's birthday party (see pic) and we had such a good time. I really wish you could have been there. As for your question, $1,000 doesn't seem so bad; it is a lot of money to me so please realize that even losing that amount would dramatically affect my life.

The banks aren't open tomorrow though Helen, so I can't do it until Monday. You really have to swear to me though, if the check your friend sent for any reason doesn't clear (which it can't in 3 days, it takes over a week), you will pay me when you get here.

Surely you understand that even losing a thousand dollars would mean I can't continue my education, and when my mother returns from France from her cancer treatment, the last thing in the whole world I want to do is break her heart and tell her I lost my school money and had to drop out. I think I would rather kill myself than do that.

So please, you must promise me on the Holy Bible you will make good on the loan if the check isn't good. Do you promise??

Love you always,

Scammer: Hi Misha, How are you doing, I just got your email, yes I realized that alot of things is at stake if you have to borrow me the money, I promise to give you back if anything happens to the check ok, but I bet you nothing is going to happen, because this is my pay check, and no one will want to send me a bad payment, but I promise to give you back the funds if anything happens ok..... trust me on this.

Regards the party, I saw the pic, I just wished I was there with you, at least thats another avenue where we can spend time together and get to know ourselves better, right now it is as if I have known you for years, the understanding is just too perfect.
I cant wait to be there so we can go to other occasions like that, we could even visit London together during your hols in school. Please, do make sure the funds are wired early on Monday, try and do everything very early on Monday, I will really appreciate it.....I promise to pay you back in a very big way!

Thanks, looking forward to meet you.
Helen

(As you can see, the scammer is finding humor in ripping her off when he say's "I promise to pay you back in a very big way!")

Me: How much of my school money should I send? What do you need for your trip? I've seen those pics before, is that all you have?

Scammer: Hello Misha,

How are you doing today, sorry I have not been online for sometime now, I have been busy putting my things in place for my trip. I would have appreciate $1500, but I am not sure you would be able to do that? if it is possible help me with $1500, and if you think $1000 is ok, then try and send it to me very early Monday morning ok.

Please, it is Monday here and the time is 4:56am, I will be coming back to check my email for the Western Union Details ok.

 I hope you still remember my agent's info:

(Name): TIMOTHY MONTOYA

(City)      Port Washington

(State)    WI.

(Zip)       53074

I will be expecting the following info from you as soon as you send the funds, I am aware that the Western Union Agent will charge you for sending fee, please use out of the funds to pay the transfer fee, I will need the info as follows:

(1) Exact Amount Sent (after deducting the transfer charges):................
(2) Senders Name and Address:...........
(3) Money Control Number/Reference Number (MTCN):.........

I am looking forward to meet you Misha, I cant wait for us to paint the city with beautiful colors together.

Helen

Me: Thank for all your patience, I spoke with the bank and they said the money was available for withdrawal so I've sent $2,515.00 early this morning. The MCN number they gave me was 289-609-5468. Take care and be sure to get back to me with your flight information!

Now obviously I sent no money and the number is fictitious; often I'll send them to the WU several times attempting to collect, and sometimes I even send them a doctored receipt from Western Union to convince them it was indeed sent. On one such occasion the scammer went to Western Unions office with the fictitious receipt so many times the police were waiting for him when he came the 4^th time to collect and his associates emails me asking me to help get him out of jail! He was quite upset and said "Our Minister of Finance" has been arrested!" that made my day.

The two things people have said to me in the past regarding these scams is that:

1. Anyone getting pulled into such a scam is being greedy and trying to get something for nothing, therefore they deserve what they got!
2. The Nigerians are so poor they're simply acting in desperation and trying to find a better life.

I don't really believe either are true 100% of the time. As you can see by this email exchange, this person I fabricated was merely trying to rent out a room, and for a fair price. It wasn't part of a "Help me sneak 45 million of a deceased persons bank account and I'll split it with you" scam (although that is a common scheme); so honest hard working people are victimized by these scams.

I intentionally said all I could to see if the scammer had any sympathy at all. In the end, it didn't matter how sweet and innocent Misha sounded, that she would not be able to pay for college once the scam was complete, or that her mother was gravely ill. The scammer had no qualms getting her to take her college money and send it and instructed her to keep it a secret from her ailing mother.

I also wanted to show how they befriend the victim and prey on many lonely people. The young and elderly are common victims. I recently saw a young man on TV that simply wanted to sell his motorcycle. He was contacted by a man from overseas and sent a check for more than the amount due. He was then contacted by the "shipper" and asks to wire money so that they would pick the bike up and ship it out. He lost over $3,000 and now has to work 3 jobs to repay the bank or face criminal charges. He wasn't trying to get rich quick, just sell his bike.

I spoke with a Realtor last week that said she had in fact rented a home to someone that contacted her via the web and rented the home prior to arriving from Canada. They did send her a cashier's check, but they did not ask for money back; it was a legitimate deal. So it's not hard for someone to believe that it is legitimate since on occasion people do rent rooms in this manner. Then when the bank permits them to withdraw the money from the account based on the check being deposited, many believe that indicates it has cleared, when in fact it has not.

As for the Nigerians impoverished condition driving them to do this, that's not quite true. The bulk of the profits are going to the ringleaders and they have made billions. The Yahoo Boys are paid nominal commissions for their success. Many consider it a game, as this popular song indicates.  It's called "I Go Chop Your Dollar" and has lyrics such as this:

"419 is just a game. You are the loser, I am the winner. White people greedy.... I take your money and disappear.... You be the fool, I be the master."

The losses from this scam are in the billions! On August 6^th 2007 the EEOC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) ran a sting operation in Nigeria and confiscated outbound mail for the US and UK. The operation produced startling discoveries of how criminal elements operating from the country ship fake documents and counterfeit financial instruments abroad. In several packages they found fraudulent identification and counterfeit financial instruments neatly concealed in carbon paper to evade the sensors of scanners.

In all, 15,129 counterfeit checks related to advance fee fraud scams were intercepted. They included 6,948 blank checks and others drawn for the sums of $145.9 million, Euro 211,077, 218.00, over two million Pounds Sterling and 120,450.00 Canadian dollars. So this is a major problem that shouldn't be ignored and written off as "something that happens to greedy fools".

In playing along with their scam and allowing them to send the check, only to realize they have wasted their time and money in doing so and perhaps makes them more leery of who they send the checks to. I've noticed that some of the ads I place on Craigslist receive no response. The Yahoo Boys have private websites where they post messages to one another regarding their own bad experience with victims and who to avoid.

I hope that in doing this I make them more leery of any ads for Washington State property rentals. I'm not crazy enough to believe I can end it, but as I said before, if I can just save a few from this scam it's worth my time. I haven't taken as much time or effort as it may seem; I often do it when I'm bored or need a break. Also, I can't lie; it's a bit fun at times.