206-339-0186

How do you know it is a scam?

Good message !  Everyone read it !.

my money is GONE but I try my best to keep people away from this "SUCKERS".

What else can we do TO STOP it.

WATCH OUT FOR BRILIANT SPARMAN: email brietty4@gmail.com!

Tried to book a vacation apartment in Dallas Texas via the following craigslist find.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/vac/1681882067.html

Briliant requested I send her/him the $200 security deposit & 50% of the rental fee. She asked I send it through money transfer. After I sent it, she had trouble accessing the money stating "I need you to send me a scan of the original receipt, I'm having trouble with the name?" Come on? Really? Money transfers are the easiest things, who's name are you having trouble with? Unless it isn't your own. She also got rather defensive when I didn't contact her after 1 day.

Luckily I was able to get all my money back from Western Union.
Long story short. BE VERY CAREFUL and trust your gut!

Never wire money to anyone. PayPal is different, although you need to take some caution there, too. With PayPal, you have two means of redress--through a complaint procedure with PayPal, and if you use your credit card to pay PayPal, through the fraud protection that comes with your credit card for nondelivery of goods.

Many legitimate owners do use PayPal to receive payment. You can call PayPal to make sure the owner didn't send you a forged form, and to see if PayPal has any compaints associated with the e-mail the owner uses or the owner's name (of course, those can be fake).

If you never wire money through Western Union or send a moneygram (or whatever it's called), you've done a lot to protect yourself.

If using PayPay, work out with the owner an acceptable deposit (say one night's rent). That way you won't be out that much if it's a scam. And again, many legitimate owners do use PayPal to accept payment, so don't take that as a signal of fraud.

This is the scam ad appearing the most frequently on Craigslist for New Orleans vacation properties. There are others, but they follow pretty much the same template (ask for $200 security in advance, will say there's a manager on site, wll ask for payment through Western Union, will thank you for your patronage--which is an awkward use of English in this context). This ad is a scam, and when Craigslist takes it down, it appears a day or two later:

$120 / 2br - UNIQUE &WELL EQUIPPED APRT_________________________JaZz & EsSeNcE FeSt (st, philip str. FRENCH QUARTER) (map)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2010-04-21, 3:37PM CDT
Reply to: hous-rqujt-1703480405@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

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_________________________________________________________________________________
Fully outfitted with glasses, dishes, pots and pans, flatware, etc. - fabulous French farm sink! Large deck in totally private tropical courtyard with hot tub and tin roof surrounded by lush tropical foliage, citrus trees and banana palms. Large covered front porch with bench seating overlooking charming landscaped front yard.
Kitchen: cooking utensils,ice maker,dish washer,refrigerator,microwave,washing machine,clothes dryer,oven,4 ring stove,coffee maker,toaster,blender
_________________________________________________________________________________
FOR RESERVATION, YOU SHOULD WRITE BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR SELF AND INDICATE THE NUMBER OF NIGHTS YOU INTEND TO STAY IN THE APARTMENT WITH THE NUMBER OF GUESTS CHECKING IN TO THE APARTMENT. YOU ARE WELCOME TO NOLA.
The apartment is still available. Contact to reserve now. Walking distance to shops, restuarants, bars, bus line, cabs, streetcar and grocery store just across the street. Peaceful and safe.
Don't be fooled by other places claiming to be 'just one block' or 'just outside' the French Quarter. This is truly an incredible location on vibrant St. Philip Street at Royal Street Walking distance to all major attractions, riverfront and downtown. Twice as big as the average hotel room. Office on site, manager lives on property Fabulous one of a kind French Quarter luxury open floor plan loft syle apartment. Fully renovated, all brand new. ground floor, no stairs, perfect for small children & elderly. Bourbon Street- one block, One block to Decatur Street, 2 blocks to Jackson Square. Perfect Location, walk everywhere This unit is app. 700 sq ft, all open space with 2 queen beds, sofa/sitting area, full bath, and a fully equipped kitchen with custom stainless steel appliances, granite counters, and hardwood floors. Totally renovated/ALL NEW. Few munities to Super Dome,Convention Center for Essence Festival.
The apartment cost $120 Per Night. To reserve, Write briefly about your self, the number of nights you plan to stay in and the number of guests.


The apartment is available for the JAZZ FESTIVAL AND ESSENCE FESTIVAL.
Spacious and lovely apartment is two bedroom. Located right in the heart of the historic French Quarter!!
AMENITIES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kitchen: cooking utensils
ice maker,
dish washer,
refrigerator,
microwave,
washing machine,
clothes dryer,
oven,
4 ring stove,
coffee maker,
toaster,
blender


French Quarter at Royal Street (google map) (yahoo map)
•cats are OK - purrr
•dogs are OK - wooof
•Location: st, philip str. FRENCH QUARTER
•it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
 
 

PostingID: 1703480405

I cannot believe we fell for the same exact same message when wanting to vacation in Colorado Springs, they def have a scam goin on, has anyone reported them?

Briliant Sparman brietty4@gmail.com

Thanks for your response.I am attaching the agreement and booking form to you. I want  you to complete and return it back soonest. Also, to have the apartment reserved for you. you need to have the %50 deposit plus the refundable security fee which is $100 the total amount you are going to send is ($225) you will transfered it to the owner of the apartment via Western Union Money. on your arrival you will pay the remaining %50 payment while i will then hand over the keys to you. Here is the  owner's Name and Address to send the deposit to her.

Name: Jennifer Fassy
        3333 Weslayan
        Houston
        TX
        77098
        USA

Get back to me  immediately with the Money Western Union Money Transfer Control # and the information given to you while deposit is transfered so i can prepare and forward your receipt to you. Please remember to print and come along with the apartment receipt that i will attach and forward to you after confirmation of deposit.
Thanks
Mrs. Briliant.

TOTAL SCAMMER!!!

The ad  I posted above is back on Craigslist, pushing housing for New Orleans' Essence festival. When notified by e-mail, Craigslist does take the ad down, but then a few days later the scammer reposts it. Please, no one, fall for these scams. If you follow Craigslist's guidelines, which warn against wiring money through Western Union and sending money orders, you've done a lot ot protect yourself. I think it's pretty easy to spot the fraud ads on Craigslist now.

Yeah he/she just replied to me with pretty much the same letter for an apartment in baltimore, md.
Craigslist really starting to suck big times! Stay away!

Ok after reading all of this. And having just recieved my form to fill out with the
same name to make the money order out to....last time i picked up money from
Western Union i had to show an ID proving who I was.
Now my logic tells me that this person still goes by this name, BUT! Someone
in this town in texas ( with atleast a fake ID of this Jeniffer) has to pick the money up from a western union location there.
So if the police is informed and does find out that this person is running a scam like this,
they should be able to set a trap for this "A-HO" who hurt too many already.
Between all of us we have enough evidence for this. Oh and i just flagged the add "she"
had in the baltimore section. What do y'all think?

Same message regarding 2br in Cleveland, OH - thank goodness I Googled her e-mail address first and read these tales!

Briliant Sparman [mailto:brietty4@gmail.com]
Pay Pal: supermax20747@yahoo.com

Check this out though... a REAL POST, perhaps this is the person's real name, who is doing this:
http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/699197221/m/3760031332001    

Posted Sun 13 September 2009 09:23 PM
Hi my name is Maxine Bingham and I went to Abraham Lincoln High with Greg. I am trying to locate him. The only information i have is this D-5-3 1st PLT he wrote me from the following states Ft. Leonard Wood MO, Fort Lee VA. If you are Greg or know of his whereabouts please contact me at supermax20747@yahoo.com. Thanks

Just got scammed by this person for an Ad in Nashville... Sent the money to Houstan as well. I'm now in a terribly tight spot as I was planning on having a place to stay because of this b**ch tomorrow...

Can someone give me some advice as to how to get my 500 back??
This is terrible.

we were also scamed by this person named "dea lazo" (dealazo@gmail.com)
had to do the transfer to a mr raymond belcher in brooklyn ny 11211
phone nr is 315-308-5329
for a west hollywood apartment in los angeles

keep your fingers away from this person(s)!!!!!

Wow.  I was just dealing with Briliant Sparman <brietty4@gmail.com>  for the last two days.  I got worried because 1) She kept indicating how many people were waiting and I had to do it now, 2) The english was broken and bad, 3) She never indicted a unit number, 4) they wanted western union, and 5) I kept asking for a reference and never got one.

I'm so glad I did a search for the owner's name!  The owner name they used is Jennifer Fassy in Houston, TX.

I'm bummed because Craigslist is becoming more mucked up with scam artists.  I've rented lovel accomodations before, but I just don't trust any of it now.

Excerpt

Hello Maya,

Thank you for showing interest. The apartment is available for the dates chosen. I am sure that this is one of the best apartment you can get around at this reasonable rate. But I cannot guarantee the hold of the apartment until you book for it. You are required to pay 50% of the total rental fee and a Refundable security fee of $100  to enable me hold the apartment for you,as there is rush for the apartment at this time.The apartment is $50  per night. Check the below quotes for the cost of nights you intent to stay in the apartment.

Address: 411 Hobron Lane, Honolulu, HI 96815

2      NIGHTS =   $100

%50 DEPOSIT   =   $50

SECURITY FEE  =   $100


All you have to do to hold the apartment is to pay a 50% of the total rental fee, plus the Refundable Security Fee which is $100.  which will be given back to you on the day you departing from the apartment,  Once you have made the payment I will issue you a receipt confirming your payments. There are also door men and cleaners who would come at intervals under your request to clean and attend to your needs.This also does not attract any extra charges. You get to notify me of the exact time you will be arriving in HI to make arrangement to pick you up. There is no extra charges for this also. I will render this service for free.I will send you our booking form and agreement as soon I have your reply to know you are interested in the apartment.

Regards

Mrs. Briliant.

AND

Thanks for your response.I am attaching the agreement and booking form to you. I want  you to complete and return it back soonest. Also, to have the apartment reserved for you. you need to have the %50 deposit plus the refundable security fee which is $100 the total amount you are going to send is ($150) you will transfered it to the owner of the apartment via Western Union Money. on your arrival you will pay the remaining %50 payment while i will then hand over the keys to you. Here is the  owner's Name and Address to send the deposit to her. Just about 2 story building.

Name: Jennifer Fassy
        3333 Weslayan
        Houston
        TX
        77098
        USA
       
The line maybe busy due to a lot of calls we receive from other clients. Get back to me  immediately with the Money Western Union Money Transfer Control # and the information given to you while deposit is transfered so i can prepare and forward your receipt to you. Please remember to print and come along with the apartment receipt that i will attach and forward to you after confirmation of deposit.
Thanks
Mrs. Briliant.

Yes.  I will save my emails if you need evidence.

Make a complaint to the FBI at https://complaint.ic3.gov/ctf.aspx.  The more the easier it is to catch them.

These people will start changing their names, but to avoid scams, simply NEVER wire money to anyone through Western Union. That's really the tipoff. Paypal is usually legitimate, and if you use a credit card through PayPal, you'll be protected through your card's fraud protection (every card offers some kind of fraud protection--don't use a debit card) in case it is a scam.

And keeping this thread updated and alive will help too, as the thread should come up for anyone who Googles anything like "housing scams Craisglist" or some variation of that.

I'm currently dealing with "Mrs. Briliant" as well. I did a google search for "briliant sparman" on a hunch my wife had about scammers and as I see now it was totally worth it. I would have been super pissed if we had drove all the way to Nashville and ended up without a place to stay. Below are the e-mails I've sent to her and her replies. She avoided my questions and also seemed to be pushy about the reservation like others have mentioned. I won't be buying anything from her and I hope noone gets taken by these scammers!

Dusty




Thats all pictures we have on craiglist. I also send you the address for you to google map and see the building below. The apt is well furnished with alot of amenities. Kitchen well equipped.
Brie.


On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 12:07 PM, Dusty  wrote:

Great! I still need to talk with my wife to see exactly how many days we want to stay down there before I can officially commit. Can you tell me anything else about the apartment other than what I can see from the pics on craigslist; like a pool, internet, etc.? Will the apartment that we stay in be the same one as in the pictures, or do you have pictures of the one we would be staying in? Thanks!


Dusty



 




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:25:12 -0700
Subject: Re: apartment rental
From: brietty4@gmail.com



Hello Dusty,
Thank you for showing interest. The apartment is available for the dates chosen. I am sure that this is one of the best apartment you can get around at this reasonable rate. But I cannot guarantee the hold of the apartment until you book for it. You are required to pay 50% of the total rental fee and a Refundable security fee of $100  to enable me hold the apartment for you,as there is rush for the apartment at this time.The apartment is $50  per night. Check the below quotes for the cost of nights you intent to stay in the apartment.
Address: 444 Elmington Avenue Nashville, TN 37205
7      NIGHTS =   $350
%50 DEPOSIT   =   $175
SECURITY FEE  =   $100

All you have to do to hold the apartment is to pay a 50% of the total rental fee, plus the Refundable Security Fee which is $100.  which will be given back to you on the day you departing from the apartment,  Once you have made the payment I will issue you a receipt confirming your payments. There are also door men and cleaners who would come at intervals under your request to clean and attend to your needs.This also does not attract any extra charges. You get to notify me of the exact time you will be arriving in TN to make arrangement to pick you up. There is no extra charges for this also. I will render this service for free.I will send you our booking form and agreement as soon I have your reply to know you are interested in the apartment.

Regards
Mrs. Briliant.

I was minutes away from paying this person 300.00 for a deposit on a West Hollywood Apt.  She wanted it Western Unioned which I thought was strange.  Then she actually went as far as send me a picuture of her drivers license.  

I asked for a number for her to be reached before I sent the money and she put in the same number everyone here is talking about. I googled the phone number and found this link. This page is amazing, and thank God for the Internet.  The person I was dealing with is dealazo@gmail.com.  Beware folks!!!

Hey Becky,

I had the same thing happen to me, and thank God I googled the phone number and found this sight.  My only concern is that I also filled out the rental agreement, and put in my DL number. Yikes...did you do the same?