Scam information for Advertisers/Providers
Update 20 September 2018
Reports from Advertisers/Providers are coming in of a scammer Serena Fowler serenafowler11@gmail.com signing off as Angela. If you believe someone is trying to scam you please report the incident to ScamWatch; http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/Scamwatch/ and forward the email to housing.online@anu.edu.au so we can monitor activity. Please do not send any money and cease communication.
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University Accommodation has been contacted by Advertisers/Providers regarding scam emails via email.
If you believe someone is trying to scam you please report the incident to ScamWatch http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/Scamwatch/ and forward the email to housing.online@anu.edu.au to allow us to monitor.
Update 7 February 2018. Reports are coming in of scammer Mr Harry Phillip and daughter Angela Sung Phillip rayibe211@gmail.com or angelphillips024@gmail.com. If you believe someone is trying to scam you please report the incident to ScamWatch; http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/Scamwatch/ and forward the email to housing.online@anu.edu.au so we can monitor activity. Please do not send any money.
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Update 15 November 2017. We have had reports of scammer Jennifer Tong Garcia harrisondam75@gmail.com and jannygary21@gmail.com. If you believe someone is trying to scam you please report the incident to ScamWatch http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/Scamwatch/ and forward the email to housing.online@anu.edu.au so we can monitor activity. Please do not send any money.
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Update 5 January 2017: We have had reports of scammers Jose Alejandro josesunghua@gmail.com and Sandra Eliza Alejandro (father and daughter).
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Update 9 November 2016: We have had reports of scammers Jose Sunghua josecchan678@gmail.com and Naomi Tong Sunghua tongyiing1965@gmail.com (father and daughter).
Update 8 September 2014: The latest reports for scams indicate that the emails are being sent by Julia Williams
juwills50@yahoo.com, Binahmad Rosa rosabinahman@yahoo.com.hk or Aljur Binahmad aljurbinahmad@hotmail.com.
Update 16 June 2014: The current scams are coming from Marlene Melvin in the Philippines and she then requests that you deal with her father Tom Melvin. The email address in which Marlene Melvin has registered under has been blocked. If you receive any such emails please do not send any money and report the activity to
The emails predominately come from young females who advise that they are prospective ANU students arriving from another country. They request that the room be secured for them and advise that their father/dad will be in contact regarding the deposit payment.
Further reports also include copies of a British Passport along with other general photos of the person, Research shows that there are scams like this going around - further information can be found on the ACCC SCAMwatch website: http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/i...
The SCAMwatch website outlines that "...If you accept the offer, the scammer then sends you a cheque, but the cheque is for more money than the agreed sale price. The scammer will invent an excuse for the overpayment, for example to cover the fees of an agent or extra shipping costs. The scammer might just say that it was a mistake.
The scammer will then ask you to refund the excess amount—usually through an online banking transfer or a wire transfer. The scammer is hoping that you will do this before you discover that their cheque has bounced. You will have lost the money you gave the scammer, and if you have already sent the item you were selling, you will lose it as well."
Actual extracts from scam emails:
"Thank you for the mail.I appreciate your immediate answer.I am sorry but i have taken time and have figured out things well.Let me explain a little about myself.I am from England.I am very easy going and down to earth.We will send cash payment to you as soon as i finalise with you now.So i hope to hear immediately from you.My company,a known research firm(Ipsos MORI) who will be sponsoring my research will send your first month's deposit money.That will be enough to secure it and i will be assured of the accomodation.I will then inform you of my exact move in date and my flight schedule as soon as you get the payment.I will also know whether it will be possible to pick me up from the airport on my arrival if there is a close one.If it is not possible to pick me,that will not be a problem as i will find my way to the house.I will also like to send the payment because that will really show you that i am serious.I will not like to be stranded on my arrival.I will be sending you my pictures also so that you will have an idea of what i look like.We will conclude the rest of the details when i hear from you.I assure you that everything will be fine once you get the payment.
Please send your full name and also your address to send it the payment.You will get your payment in full cash.Please kindly get back to me immediately.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Regard
Julia"
"How are you doing today? I' m Josef Alex by name, my daughter (Sarah) has been getting in touch with you for a while regarding your accommodation available for rent. She is still interested and the accommodation is confirmed by her. She is a potential tenant, very clean, polite, easy going, hard working and responsible, she is a dream of every family. I'm very proud of her. I can assure that you have nothing to lose holding your accommodation for her.
We have a financier that is based in the states and he will be handling the payment and some other expenses, so he will be the one that will be taking care of the service payment throughout her stay in Australia. I will instruct him to send a Paycheck of her rent deposit for one Months before her arrival so as to secure the room. I will send you her flight details immediately she's through with her assignments in Philippine. So my financier would be needing the following Information below to make out the payment
(I)Your Full Name On Payment:(II)Your Residence address where it will be delivered to(no P.O..Box please):(III)City:(IV)Post Code:(V)Mobile and Home Phone numbers:(VI)Email address:
I will be waiting to hear from you.ThanksHave a nice dayJosef"
We recommend to prospective tenants that they should not pay any money to a Landlord or Real Estate Agent until they have inspected a property and are entering in to an agreement and obtaining keys to the property. Similar caution should be adhered to when renting a property by only entering in to an agreement with someone when they are accepting the property in person or you are dealing with a reputable company which deals with student placements such as Homestay arrangements.
If you suspect that someone is trying to scam you please contact us to allow us to investigate, we have the ability to block/blacklist people through this site - hopefully if it happens enough they will give up and go elsewhere.
