Fraud: spotting scam e-mails

Anyone looking for or offering a room will sooner or later get an e-mail from fraudsters. They are very much alike and usually in English. Here are the typical sentences and examples that were reported to us. What fake ads look like is explained in Fraud: spotting fake ads, more advice in the Flatshare tips.

The essentials

Never transfer money before you have seen the room, met the people and signed the contract. No “reservation fee” and no deposit in advance either.
Don’t send a copy of your ID to people you haven’t met.
The wgzimmer.ch team never recommends a room to you and never passes on your address. Anyone who claims otherwise is a fraudster.
We never send you a link to pay. You only pay for extras when you choose them yourself on wgzimmer.ch.

Typical sentences

If you find one of these sentences in an e-mail, stop the contact:

I was contacted by wgzimmer.ch management team that you maybe interested in my apartment.
Presently I am not available in Zurich, I am in the United Kingdom with my family and my keys.
You can go to the address and see it from outside, but the apartment is locked and I am here with the keys.
Two years ago I inherited the apartment from my late mother.
It’s all about trust, I am not after the money.
Kindly get back to me so I can tell you how to get my apartment reserved.
Do you smoke? Do you have pets? What do you do for a living? How old are you?

On top of that come stories of millions someone wants to share with you, often from soldiers or widows in war zones.

Examples from our inbox

Shortened, without names, addresses and numbers. They keep arriving like this or in a similar form.

“Recommended by the wgzimmer.ch team”

Hello, I was contacted by wgzimmer.ch management team that you maybe interested in my Apartment. I own a well furnished apartment in Zurich very easy access to bus stop. […] My apartment is only available for a reliable person that will take good care of the place.

We never recommend a room and never pass on addresses.

The keys are abroad

Thanks so much for your email regarding to my apartment, my apartment is still very much available for rent. […] Rent Amount/Per month: 550CHF, Security Deposit: 600CHF, Furnished: Yes, Available: Immediately. […] But presently am not available in Zurich for now as am presently in United kingdom now to complete my work with my company and am here with my families and my keys. But all you need to do is to go straight to the address i sent you to take a look of the apartment from outside, but i want you to have it mind that the apartment is presently locked and am here with the keys.

Trust first, then questions

Its all about trust am not after the money but need someone who will take good care of the apartment for me. […] Two years ago, I Inherited the apartment from my late mother. […] But before any reservation, Can you tell me little about yourself? where are you from? Did you smoke? Did you have pet? What are you doing for living? How old are you? […] Kindly get back to me to let you know how to get my Apartment reserved.

With your answers, often with a copy of your ID too, the fraudster prepares the “reservation”: a payment through a money transfer or a fake payment page.

Millions from the war

How are you and your family today, I pray you are all safe and good. […] I am sincerely interested in your property and I am surely taking this property on your prize. […] I have in my possession the sum of €10.2 million […] I will give to you 20% of the sum and 80% is for me.

Help for a widow

Greetings my dear, […] I read the details of your property, and i like it, and i am ready to rent it on your price. However, it will not be possible for me to come to your Country until the middle of next month. But If it can be arranged, i can pay you, even before my arrival. […] I will give you 10% of the total money (4.7 million euros) for your assistance.

Such e-mails often go to people offering a room. Just delete them.

If you are offering a room

Renting without a viewing. Someone wants the room right away without seeing it and only “arrives in Switzerland next month”.
Paid too much. A payment or a cheque arrives for more than agreed, with a request to send back the difference. The first payment bounces later, and your money is gone.
An “agent” pays. A company or a lawyer is supposed to transfer the rent and needs your bank details, a fee or a copy of your ID for it.
Fake payment confirmations. E-mails that look like they come from PayPal or a bank and report a payment that never arrived. Only check payments in your e-banking.

Careful with links

Fraudsters send links to pages that look like Airbnb, a bank, a trust company or wgzimmer.ch. There you are supposed to “reserve”, pay or log in.
Look closely at the address in the address bar. wgzimmer.ch only exists at wgzimmer.ch.
You only enter the code you log in to wgzimmer.ch with on wgzimmer.ch. We never ask for it by e-mail or phone.
Never enter passwords, credit card details or codes from a text message on a page you reached through a link in an e-mail.

What you can do

Stop replying and don’t send any details about yourself.
Check the sender’s address with Check a scam e-mail.
Forward the e-mail to abuse@wgzimmer.ch with the ad it refers to. We look into the report and block ads and senders if needed.
Already paid or sent a copy of your ID? Call your bank immediately and report it to the police. Keep all e-mails.
You can also report internet fraud to the Federal Office for Cybersecurity.