Archive for Ranty

Craigslist scams are weird

October 15, 2010 Ranty No comments

I can be overzealous in calling something a scam. But if my scam alarm goes off, at the very least something is sketchy. I saw an ad on Craigslist for a very large 3-bedroom, 2 -bathroom house for only $1000. (That is about $1500-$2000 less than what similar houses are going for.) Instead of thinking it was a typo, my first thought was that it was a scam. I didn’t have a good reason to think so. They could easily have mistyped. But there was something suspicious about the photos of the house. It was two identical outside photos that looked like they could be from Google Streetview. (I would link to it but it’s been removed)

I was curious, so I emailed and asked for details. This is what I got back:

Hello I can see you are interested in the ad I have pasted, I am currently in West Africa where I work as a volunteer with the [name of missionary group], here is the site for more details about why I am here in Africa [website]. I spent less time in the States so I could not get a hold on any Realtor to handle this rent issue, although it was when I knew how long we are going to stay in Africa that I decided to rent out the house. However, the initial plan was to sell out the house. which I tried, but sometimes the agents inflates the price and it takes longer to sell i am telling you this in case you find the house on another website, that is the old advert So I need a tenant to take care of it but since I am out of the state now, I have received some proposals regarding the rent because it is located in a very good area of Petaluma, but I still have to make sure it is rented out to someone who can take good care of it. It includes facilities such as water and heat laundry facilities, air condition, internet and telephone access and a car park and other necessary facilities, also comes with trash collection, pets are allowed as well as long as they are not destructive. So if you know you are capable of the task,So get back to me with this below information, Hope you are okay with the price $1000 and security deposit $800.

What followed was an application that asked for my pets’ names … something a landlord doesn’t need to know but that is a common security question. I could follow up asking to see the inside, but I already know what will happen. I encountered a similar scammer when I was selling my dad’s treadmill for him and they just have a lot of excuses and then offer to send you a money order that ends up involving you giving them money. (I have never lost money and always refuse to give money or sensitive info)

Why are they always in Africa or Russia? Couldn’t they pick something that isn’t notorious for online scams?

Channel Surfing With Marcia

September 9, 2010 Ranty 5 comments

I am not a smug anti-TV person. I love television. But I think cable TV is a ripoff, so I  watch the shows I want when I want … through ENTIRELY LEGAL ONLINE METHODS. This means that there’s a whole world of shows I have no idea about (I’m looking at you, TLC!) because I don’t channel surf … except when I’m staying in a hotel. I am in a hotel right now. If you have TV, you will probably find my observations quaint, much like if I were to ask “What’s the deal with that MySpace thing I read about in USA Today?” Channel surf with me in real time (OK, so I am writing this in real time with the programming. You can actually read this whenever you want.)

  1. Since when are there so many shows about midgets having an occupation? (You can say “little people” if you want. Herve Villechaize said “midget” so it’s OK.) Sometimes they are bakers. Sometimes they are farmers. Sometimes they rescue pit bulls. It doesn’t matter as long as they’re working. No one wants to watch a lazy midget, I guess?
  2. Since when are there so many shows about people having mental disorders? I put on Animal Planet because I was hoping to watch a show about baby tigers or koala bears while I worked. Instead, their whole evening line up is about mentally ill people who use pets as a way to escape reality. Other channels had shows about people with disorders that did not involve pets. What happened to Law and Order reruns? Man, you skip the cable for a few years and suddenly everyone’s obsessive compulsive.
  3. Hey, people on the MTV shows about having a mental disorder: You are spoiled and not nearly as sympathetic as the other channels’ mentally disordered people. If you’re not a pregnant teen, we don’t feel sorry for you.
  4. I had no idea so many celebrities used to have acne. So many of them endorse Proactiv. Katy Perry. Diddy. Jessica Simpson. Justin Beiber. I want to look just like all of them rolled up into one clear-skinned mega-celebrity.
  5. Poor New Jersey. Here I thought reality TV made being from Orange County embarrassing.
  6. OK THIS IS AWESOME: Celtic Thunder! Four Irish guys in their late 20s marching in place singing about how they love Ireland! Their Christmas album just SOLD OUT on QVC. The lady thinks they should come back and host! This is more confusing to me than the time I saw the show about buying $800 vibrators from proper-looking QVC ladies.
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