I torsdags kväll hittade jag en lägenhet på Blocket för uthyrning i andra hand. Lägenheten skulle ligga på Östermalm i Stockholm och på bilderna i annonsen såg den riktigt fin ut. Priset var inte heller så farligt och i princip allt man behöver ingick. Tyvärr tog jag ingen skärmdump på annonsen vilket jag ångrar nu när den är borta. Jag tyckte hursomhelst att den verkade lite för bra för att vara sann, så med viss skepsis skrev jag ett kort svar om att jag var intresserad.

På fredagkvällen kom ett mail tillbaka från annonsören (jag utelämnar namnet då jag är övertygad om att han är namejackad) på engelska.

Thank you for your interest.As you can see I have available the apartment located in Skeppargatan 53, 11428 Stockolm, with 2 bedrooms, 1 kitchen and 1 bathroom because I moved with my job in United Kingdom, Sheffield and I need money to pay the rent here.I purchased this nice apartment during a business trip to Sweden with the intention of renovating it to a luxury state, then reselling it, but due to the market blockage and the international crisis, it is impossible for me to sell it right now, so I’ve decided to rent it.I would be happy to rent it to somebody who likes keeping it clean and tidy.I can rent you the flat for 5 years, and, if after the five years you would like to stay more, then we can renew the contract.I can also rent it for short periods (2 months minimum).The rent for 1 month is 6700SEK including all utilities (cold/hot water, electricity, wireless Internet, digital TV, 1 parking spot, dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, washing machine).You can use my furniture, or you can use your own.
You can move in the apt in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I `m the only person who have the keys but I hope that we will find a compromise.
Thank you for your interest and I will look forward to hearing from you soon.
Good luck,

Här ökade min misstänksamhet ytterligare två snäpp. Jag noterade inte bara att postnumret var fel utan nu lät allt alldeles för bra för att vara sant. Jag googlade annonsören och hittade både ett inaktivt Twitter- och Facebookkonto och i stort sett inte så mycket annat. Men jag ville ändå veta fortsättningen på den här historien.

Jag svarade kort:

Thank you for your e-mail.
I am still interested in renting your apartment but how do you suggest that we will solve it with the contract and keys if you are in the UK?

Regards,
Maria

Nästa mail från annonsören dröjde till igår men jag fick en lösning presenterad för mig.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply but the matter is that I’m in Sheffield already. Like I have inform you before, the price you shall pay for one month of rent will be 6700SEK, with no extra taxes to pay. The money, I want to revive it monthly to my bank account, so I hope it will be no problem for you to wire the money to my bank account. The apartment is ready for you, you will need only to receive the keys and the contract to check it, and see if you like it.
Obviously we need a way to complete this deal, that will allow us to make sure we receive what we are after. In order of that I have found a way for us to complete the deal safely and fast, and in this way you will receive the Keys in less than 2 days, if you move fast as well. The solution is provided by a company called TNT which is similar to FedEx, DHL or UPS, which will handle both payment and delivery of the Keys.
I have found a procedure that will allow you to pay for the rent of the apt only after you will receive the keys of it and through this way you will see it and decide if you will stay in the apt or not before I receive my payment.Please click on the link bellow to the TNT website to see how we can complete the deal safely and fast directly from the website of the company where the procedure is explained: http://www.tnt.com/express/en_gb/site/home/services/express_delivery.html
Let me know if you are interested please because I really need to take care of this matter by the end of this week or the beginning of the next one.

Fortfarande en del skumma grejer men det verkade ju inte farligt än så länge så jag skrev tillbaka att jag ville se hur kontraktet ser ut innan han skickar några nycklar. Samtidigt började jag googla efter vilken bostadsrättsförening lägenheten tillhörde. Det visade sig svårgooglat men jag hittade en förening via Lokaldelen och ringde för att fråga om de hade lägenheter på adressen. Jag hamnade hos förvaltningsbolaget som gav mig ett nummer till en kvinna som skulle ha koll på lägenheterna i huset på den aktuella adressen. Jag ringde till kvinnan och fick först höra att jag var den andra personen som ringde och frågade samma sak. Sedan berättar hon att det i huset bara finns hyresrätter så att någon har köpt en lägenhet där är en omöjlighet. Nu hade jag avslöjat bluffen och avfärdat mina minimala förhoppningar om att det faktiskt skulle finnas en lägenhet att hyra.

Idag fick jag dock nästa mail från annonsören:

Hi Maria,

I want to inform you that TNT will hold the money until you will confirm to them that you like the apt and keep the keys. If you don’t like it, you only have to return the keys to them after they will refund the money to you and they will deliver the keys back to me on my expense.
I will need to inform you the steps about how this service works and how we can make it happen. You will only have to deposit to TNT Service the first month of rent – 6700SEK – so they can proceed with the shipping, and you can receive the keys and the contract.
Like I said, I will pay for a 2 days delivery so you will receive the Keys and the contract signed by me right away. I will explain to you step by step how this will work:
1 – To start this transaction i will need to know your full shipping information, full name, full shipping address to proceed with this deal .
2 – I go to the TNT Office and leave the Keys and the contract in your name as the intended receiver.
3 – TNT will check the envelope to see if everything is OK with it and also the legal papers that will come along with the Keys.
4 – TNT will send you a delivery notification to let you know they have the Keys and the papers in their custody, in which you will be told that they have the Keys and that they checked it.
5 – At this point you will have to go to a WesternUnion Agent Location and make a money transfer deposit on the TNT agent name assigned with this transaction for the amount we agreed, the total amount you shall deposit is for the first month of rent.
6 – After you make the deposit you will have to send the infos about the money deposit to TNT  (Reference Number, sender’s name and address)
7 – TNT will verify the payment informations and if everything is in order they will deliver the Keys and the contract to you .
8 – After you receive the package, You will go and check the apt and in 2 days you must contact them and tell them if you keep the apt or not, if everything is in order you will instruct TNT to release the funds to me.
If you don’t like the apt they will send your money back and you will send them the keys and the contract to them to return the package back to me on my expense.

I will pay TNT Service for the shipping and you will pay WesternUnion for the Money Transfer fees.

Now i must know for sure if you agree because here are a lot of peoples interested to have this apartment rented and i want to know for sure what i must tell them. If you agree what i suggested i will tell them that my apartment is already rented and i will keep it for you. If you agree then i must have all the shipping details so i will be able to make all the arrangements for the TNT delivery.

Thank you for your interest and wait news from you.

Det här mailet fick bara ett kort svar:

I am not interested in your apartment any longer.

– Maria

Att blogga om det här är mitt sätt att varna andra för liknande händelser. Jag har förstått att det händer då och då och som vanligt gäller ”Låter det för bra för att vara sant, så är det förmodligen också så”.

Och förresten, nämnde jag att jag söker lägenhet? Jodå, jag vill gärna hyra en lägenhet, av dig som är ärlig och kan ge mig ett schysst kontrakt. Här finns mina önskemål sammanfattade.