Thought you might want to give my fellow apartment seekers a heads up. This company eRentalApplications.com looks like they’re reposting ads at a couple hundred bucks lower than their first (presumably legitimate) post, then asking for *ton* of personal information AND a $14.95 “application fee”. Below, my reply to their scam email. Below that, their scam email.

It’s fucking annoying because if you haven’t seen the ads, you can’t figure out its a hustle. You write to one, get a response, and then look, they want fifteen bucks. Here’s the same place, three ways:
June 23: $1400: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/apa/1236116494.html
July 13: $1272: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/apa/1267744639.html
July 18: $1050: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/apa/1275999145.html

Anyway, it’s been going on around the country: http://www.king5.com/localnews/getjesse/stories/NW_070809GJB-erentalapplications-KC.20cfffb8.html – and they seem totally illegitmate. The website is registered by “Domains by Proxy, Inc.” and there’s not contact info of any kind on their site except emails.

Between the mugging and the potential for ridicule and now this, we’re going back to using newspaper classifieds. SIKE! Still, though, doesn’t the rule still hold that if one falls for scams like this — forking over tons of personal info, application fees, and so on — one deserves what one gets? Especially in this desperate real estate market. After the jump, our reader’s email chain. We can almost guarantee you’ll be among the first actual humans to read it. Good on ya, Educated Consumer.

From: [REDACTED]
To: [SHADY LOOKING EMAIL ADDRESS]
Subject: RE: house for rent at 711 Annin St
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:12:58 -0400

Hi “Gwendolyn,”

I’m interested in the apartment, but I will not submit extensive personal information and pay a fee before seeing it. If you’re legit, I’m happy to come look at the apartment

But this reeks of scam to me. I’ve never been asked to pay $15, submit a slew of personal information, and deal with a website and “company” that has no publicly available contact information, and is registered anonymously by another company called “Domains by Proxy” that exists solely to conceal the identity of website owners, PRIOR to even seeing an apartment.

I’ll be reporting you and this “company” as potential frauds to the Better Business Bureau, to craigslist, and to the Federal Trade Commission. Oh, wait, I see from media reports in other cities that other people already have! The FTC, perhaps to your surprise, is the federal agency that oversees internet scams, and has the subpoena power to figure out who you are (proxy no more!), investigative power to see how much money you’ve hustled, and to prosecute you.

Nice try.

Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:42:21 +0300
Subject: Re: house for rent at 711 Annin St
From: [SHADY LOOKING EMAIL ADDRESS]
To: [REDACTED]

Hello
Please go to www.eRentalApplications.com to fill out a basic rental application to
check tenant history, references, and verify employment. Your social
security is NOT REQUIRED and YOUR CREDIT WILL NOT BE PULLED at this
time. After the application will be reviewed you will be contacted to
set up time to see the property. The process is simple. Just use the
following steps and within minutes your application will be forwarded
for review.
Go to www.eRentalApplications.com and follow these steps:
1. On the homepage click on the “APPLY TODAY” button
2. Find the property address (for which you will be applying)
3. Fill out the application
4. Pending approval you will be contacted regarding your application
as soon as possible
Thanks.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE TO APPLICANT/EMAIL RECIPIENT – ERENTALAPPLICATIONS.COM AND ITS
AFFILIATES ARE NOT OWNERS OR LANDLORDS. By using this service, the
applicant understands and agrees that eRentalapplications.com and its
affiliates are not a property owner, landlord, property manager, or
real estate leasing agent. eRentalapplications.com provides effective,
time-saving solution for property owner, landlord, property manager,
and real estate leasing agent and renters in the process of applying
for residential dwellings nationwide and it is a referral service
which refers and forwards applications of potential tenants to
property owners, landlords, property managers, or real estate leasing
agents. eRentalapplications.com cannot guaranty that your application
will be accepted by a property owner, landlord, property manager, or
real estate leasing agent or that you will be successful in acquiring
a rental property using eRentalapplications.com’s services and by
replying to ads on craigslist.com and to emails sent by landlords or
affiliates of eRentalapplications.com. eRentalapplications.com cannot
guaranty that a property owner, landlord, property manager, or real
estate leasing agent will review your applications or contact you.
The ad posted on craigslist regarding this rental to which you have
replied was not posted by a property owner, landlord, property
manager, or real estate leasing agent. It was posted by an affiliate
who is making commissions by referring applicants to
eRentalapplications.com. Applicant agrees that it will not bring an
action, complaint, cross-complaint, demand and/or any other form of
claim against eRentalapplications.com in any way arising out of or
related in any way to Applicant’s use of eRentalapplications.com’s
services and agrees to hold eRentalapplications.com and its owners,
affiliates, landlords, officers, shareholders, members, agents,
attorneys, and insurers harmless for any injury suffered by Applicant
and in anyway related to or arising out of Applicant’s use of this
service or replying to this email. eRentalapplications.com does not
guaranty the rental rates or the accuracy of the rental rates on any
properties found on any website, including craigslist, or in this
email. ERentalapplications.com does not guarantee the accuracy of the
ads and/or the accuracy of the email responses and answers generated
by affiliates in regards to any questions asked by potential tenants
and Applicants. All information regarding the rental rate, location,
condition, and/or size of rental properties is prepared by others
(third parties such as property owners, landlords, property managers,
real estate leasing agents, affiliates,) and eRentalapplications.com
and its affiliates and representatives are not responsible for the
contents thereof. All information regarding the rental rate,
location, condition, and/or size of rental properties is prepared by
others (third parties such as property owners, landlords, property
managers, and real estate leasing agents, affiliates) and
eRentalapplications.com and its affiliates and representatives do not
guarantee the accuracy of the content in this email or listings on
craigslist.com and other websites.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 20th, 2009 at 11:02 am.