3. Small talks and bullshiting

Before I received and signed the contract, I had had several small talks with Carol. Her swift, compassionate and kind responses only assured me that there was nothing to be afraid of.

Dear Carol,

I am coming on 02.09 at.22:40. Tomorrow evening I am leaving for a vacation trip and it is not sure whether I will have a good internet connection, therefore it would be great if we could arrange everything with the contract and deposit before I leave. If not, no worries, I will find a way how to work it out ;)

best regards

Mathiew

Here is her response:

Hey Mathiew,

How is your weekend?I understand your concern but i have already informed my Lawyer about the urgency involved in the Lease contract.So i will get back to you as soon as possible.Looking forward to welcoming you soon.

Cheers,

Carol

I was leaving for a vacation trip and did not have enough time to arrange everything. I could have paid by Western Union (WU) that day, but I decided not to do and ask for a bank transfer option. In the end, I did not manage to realize the payment, so I ask my parents to take care of in my absence.

Hi Carol,

thank you for the contract, I will look through it in a a while. Today I can pay via Western Union at 4-5pm, however, I would prefer paying via bank transfer - it is much safer and more convenient for me. The only disadvantage is that the money arrives within 2-3 days. I could save considerably on fees if I could pay it this way (I have money transfer within Europe for free). All I would need for that is an IBAN and SWIFT code. But if you really insist on a payment via Western Union, I can do that.
In an hour I will send back the signed contract ;)

best regards

Mathiew

After seeing the contract and checking her lawyer I was sure that this is not a scam and stopped my suspicion towards her, at least for a while.

Hi Carol,

Here is the signed contract. Honestly I must say that I am pretty impressed by the rigorously prepared contract. We are also renting a flat, but I would never think of many points you have included in your contract. I will surely inspire my family by that.
I left blank the date and the 18. point. Everything is clear to me, I am just concern about point 11. I really hope that the rent will not be increased considerably. I understand that this part must be there for legal purposes, but hopefully you are not planning to raise the rent.

Now I will be online and try to reply to your emails asap. If there is anything you need, please let me know.

cheers,

Mathiew

p.s. - I do not have a scanner, is the photocopied contract as it is ok for you?

Ironically, she was damned good at driving away all my conerns. I checked the “bank crisis“ as she described it and I could not find anything to prove that she was telling true. “Await your urgent response“ did not stress me as much as the fact that I was leaving away and could not see this thing through to the end.

Hi Mathiew,

Thanks for the swift response...the photo copy is alright and i understand your concern about paragraphs 18 and I'm assuring you that i will not increase the rent during your stay in my apartment.Since the credit crisis Banks in the UK are not efficient,fast and it takes up to 5 working days for the transaction to clear in the bank since the UK are not in Euro Zone Currency Area.Transfer charges will be refunded upon your arrival and It would be better if you can transfer the money through western union as soon as possible so that we could proceed with next face of rent.I am positive about you and I have reserved one of the room for you straight away.Await your urgent response

Looking forward to welcoming you soon into my apartment.

Regards,
Carol

First time I asked for a cellphone number. It was a clear warning sign that since she cannot provide me with it, I should be more carefull. However, I thought that she simply does not have a UK number, or she forgot to write it down for me, or she does not want to divulge her private number. Damn it, it makes me wince to even think about that. I will not excuse myself for being absent, without a proper internet access, etc. I was just stupidly naive....

Hi Carol,

Thank you for your explanation about the bank situation in the UK. If you really wish so, I will pay by Western Union. I am just not sure I can make it today. I have only two hours left to my departure for vacation, if I do not make it today, I will leave money and instruction for my family and someone will pay it. Can you please write me your cellphone number, so I can inform you about the transaction when it is done?
Thank you for preparing everything for me. I will arrive in Edinburgh at 22:40. I hope I can find some buses to your place from the airport so late at night. Don't you mind that I come so late?

best regards

Mathiew

The number to this lawyer is genuine. I tried to reach him several times, but unfortunately, I did not realise that it was Sunday. Usually, if you are aware of a fraud, you check the person whom you send the money. I did so and there was no doubt about him. His internet website, registration in government websites, even several published cases and explanations. This information just led me to the conclusion that he is a real lawyer and I was just being to sceptical. As we know, my gut feeling was right.
Cunningly, she wrote me an anwer to my conern about the arrival, but she did not mention a word about her cell phone number.

Hey Mathiew,

Not a problem...at all.but i will advise you take taxi from the Airport directly to my doorstep and the ride will cost you around 16£ and I have decided to give you my lawyer phone number for guarantee and peace of mind

Name:Graham Gover
Tel:+447024092634

As soon as he received your payment he will issue acknowledgment receipt for you as prove of payment made to secure accommodation in Edinburgh.Oops...can't wait to see you soon

Have a nice and fabulous holiday :)

Cheers,
Carol

As my parents came to the post office, they were strongly warned not to proceed such a high payment via WU due to many fraudelant transcation. They got back to me that I should ask Carol for a bank transfer option again, so I had to reconsider my next steps. At that time I was in Geneve, wanting to enjoy my time there and not think about anything else. In fact, I was pissed off that they still had not made the payment and reprimanded my mother her scepticism. She was right, I was right, so why the hell did we realize the payment? Probably just because we thought that we won by contriving to get an option to pay via bank trasfer and there is no risk in bank transfers.