Nah... It Isn't Real

I think I am happy all my properties are in the United States. Or, at least I am happy I don't have anything to rent in the United Kingdom.

I got an e-mail from this fellow on Saturday. This is it--exactly as I received it:

Good day to you over there,i am Reverend Williams by name,i saw this unit been advertised on craigslist.com and am much more interested in renting it having read the details about it in the ad which really suites my taste.I will be signing a one year lease or more for the unit depending on how the area is conducive for my daughter and I,i will want to know the modalities in renting it and the actual price to pay per month ,i will be working with the Christian Centers in the city and will be living with my lovely daughter(Lowrie) whom is 12years old.I will be looking forward to hear from you as soon as possible as i will want to conclude the rental process before i arrive on the 31st of October.
Regards
Rev Williams

I wrote him back, explaining that it would be a long commute for the good reverend. And, good luck in securing something.

However, I don't believe for a moment this is legitimate. I have seen way too many variations of this in the past year. I have seen British missionaries, British farmers, British insurance salesmen, British chefs, British nannies and British dog walkers. The pattern is always the same--a poorly written e-mail announcing their occupation and an urgency to move.

I have a hard time believing there are so many potential tenants in England with poor planning skills and even worse written communication skills. Even the people contacting me in Leeds Alabama aren't consistantly this bad.

My guess is if I had egged him on (and if I felt better, I might have), I would have found out he was going to send me a hot check for me to divy out between six other people. Generally when I get these e-mails I go along with it out of morbid curiosity. I used to think there was some misunderstanding between Leeds England and Leeds Alabama, US, but that has never been the case.

Perhaps the good reverend is really on the level? If so, the British masses before him who wrote similar e-mails have will made it difficult for this poor guy.