Curiosity Kill the Cat!

I guess you have heard this proverb many times before. Curiosity could lead to danger as to define it. Another definition from wikipedia, "Curiosity killed the cat ' is 'satisfaction brought it back'' by Steven King. As for the latter, really suit my situation now. Sometime, little curiosity is also good. 

Few days ago, I posted a status in FB about successfully getting an apartment in Rotterdam. I was so happy as it was a month away before my moving. As now I am quite busy with my thesis which almost at the final stage, I feel quite relieved about the accommodation and positive correspondence from the landlord. After some oral agreement by email, we then moved to seal it with signing the contract. But everything happened quite fast as the landlord looks like a busy person. The reason why we (my husband and I) agreed to proceed because of the great location, satisfying interior based on the pictures given, affordable rent and less hassle as we skip real estate agent. We have direct communication with the landlord.

Nevertheless, few doubts and suspicion arising lately which we could not bear our curiosity;

1. Unbelievable cheap rent - It cost EUR600/ monthly for 2 bedrooms apartment which is fully furnished and located in the heart of Rotterdam city. My former apartment costed EUR1500 with the same specification and located few hundreds metres away. But at first we were thinking it is reasonable as the landlord did not use the real estate agent which he had bad experience before.

The apartment offered to me

2. Unconvincing contract - The contract I received wasn't so convincing. Even I do not have time to go through it as 'the landlord' who send it by email keep asking and calling about it even it just one day after. Of course you need more time to read right? No address of the law firm which should be stated in the contract. 

3. Illogical terms & agreements -  In the agreement, I should pay the deposit and the first month before 'the landlord' make our appointment to meet in Holland (as he is currently residing in London). This due to his experience to ensure that the tenant not only to come to view the apartment while he has to come all the way from London. Some kind of surety and the seriousness. At first we were like 'buying' with his reasoning but start to doubt when he keep pushing about the payment even I already told him that I need few days. (I was quite busy last week).

4. Mode of Payment - 'The landlord' asked the deposit and 1st month rent which amounted EUR1000. The doubt is he asked me to send by Money Gram. As I told him I need few days during the weekend to figure out the nearest branch. But a lot of questions played in my mind. Why the hell not giving bank account? This alone really suspicious as I told my husband, we cannot trace him after we send the money. And most important is, how if he ran away with the money as we don't know who he is, where he stay etc. 

5. Address - Usually the Dutch people will put the street name first following with the house number in their address. I guess that is the formallity here. But the landlord put the other way round which quite weird for people who already stayed in The Netherlands.

Both of my husband and I really curious with all those questions above. So hubby suggested we have a look at the apartment itself in Rotterdam. Our idea is to ring the door and if no one answer, then the apartment is really empty. This based to the info we got from 'the landlord' that it was empty for 2 months. So we went there yesterday after sending some stuffs to my personal store room. We planned to move the stuff in stages.

The best part awaiting us! After wandering around the neighbourhood, we could not find the number! Of course the HOUSE NUMBER! We even asked few people and they could not find it. The apartment that we could see start with number 102 to 316 in one building while separate with 2 units of garage in between another apartment building started with number 322++. What the hell had happened???

From there we already could make one conclusion. It is a SCAM!!! Luckily we took a wise decision to have a look at the apartment and pay nothing. Thanks to hubby's advice for being 'Inspector Gadget' to go and investigate ;). Back home, I google-ed the address and surprisingly, I could find more and more advertisements  using the same address. Let's see what I found with the address of JUFFERSTRAAT 320!

You can see various kind of specifications and even the interior itself. How could one apartment could have different decoration? Even they advertise it as Service Apartment for tourist. I feel pity for those who already trapped with this scam which already involved money. Especially foreigner who wish to come in Rotterdam and find a good place to stay. I am lucky that I am here in Holland and could easily go there anytime to see by myself. 

On our journey home from Rotterdam, I saw an email and received the calls from 'the landlord' which I felt could still have the gut to call me. I feel so angry but to think back I don't have anything to lose. Just the time and effort  I put in to find a good shelter. Those who do this kind of scam should be ashamed of themselves. I know I can't do anything but just to report to the website. But I guess the website itself already encounter this problem before as they put some warning in their website. 

Anyway, I learned a lot from this incident and I hope my friend who reading this should also take some pre-caution and be extra more careful when dealing thing online.

Let's pray for the best and hopefully we are not one of the victim!