Blind trust

This is a bit sad and a bit scary, but also a bit funny and that makes it blog-worthy, I feel.

I've been casually browsing new places to live (for reasons not in this blog because that's not really the point of this blog and, besides, I'm tired of talking about it) , mostly using Craig's List because Craig's List is keen. Wednesday I sent out a few exploratory emails, including one in response to an ad for a shared apartment in the lovely neighbourhood of Condesa for US$360 a month.

She replies immediately:

okay send the the 400 to the western union info below

Robert Paul
Address in Wisconsin

via wester union and i will ask my client there to handle over the key to you as soon as i confirm your payment here and after sending the money remember to send your name and address along the western union so that i can forward that to my client who is going to handle over the key to you okay
Thanks and best regards

Alas, I think, she's already rented the room out and she's sent me the email by mistake. So I send her an email to this effect.

She replies:

Thanks for the advise you have given but i am here telling you that you should have no fear dealing with me am the land lord of the house and you are dealing with me so the client is the one who will attend to you and give you the key to the room and its there it with you central noord and all you need is just to make the payment to me and immediately i confirm the payment from western union the i will instruct him to bring the and show you the room thats is how it goes so if you are interested to make the payment here is my western union info of where the money will be send to again
NAME.....Robert Paul
ADDRESS.....Wisconsin

Thanks and best regards

waiting for the payment confirmation

"As IF!" I scoff to myself. Why on earth would anyone even consider Western Union-ing US$400 to some random stranger in the United States before even seeing the apartment, not to mention meeting the roommates and signing a contract! And what's with this promise to give me the key as soon as the money is received? Does she not care who I am? Everything about it screams SCAAAAAAAM.

I tell my friend Paloma about the email this afternoon in a "can you believe this?!" way and, well, yes, she could.

"But do people actually pay it?" I wondered.

"Oh yeah," she shrugged, "especially when then whole 'well, I've got a girl coming tonight to sign the contract...' threats begin."

"Oh." I said. "Oh."

This is part of what I mean when I tell people that life is not always easy here.