Victim Location 21122
Total money lost $1,365
Type of a scam Travel/Vacations
On 7/5/18 I found a listing on craigstlist for a Condo Rental in Ocean City Md for the week of 07/28/2018 thru 08/4/18. After entering the dated and finding they were available, I received an email " Thanks for your interest in renting my home. The requested dates is available. I will send you the details and information. LEASE VACATION RENTAL JOHN& CHERYL." I followed with an email that contain questions about the accommodations. Reply: " The unit is on the fifth floor of the building and there is a working elevator…. the name of the building is the Sandpiper Dunes…the cost is $1,015 for the 7 nights = %50 cleaning fee + $300 refundable security deposit makes it a total of $1,365. The $300 is fully refundable. Check in 2 PM and check out 12 PM. Free parking, liners and bath towels provided. Let me know if you would like to reserve your dates now so we could email you the rental agreement. KIND REGARDS JOHN AND CHERYL". On 7/6/18 I received a short call from John asking if we could proceed with a RENTAL AGREEMENT that he would email. "Please find attached rental agreement. Complete and email back. KIND REGARDS" Email on 07/8/18 " We received the complete contract. The unit has been reserved. Please issue a money order for $1,365 in the order of CHERYL MILLER and send via Fedex to 316 W 95 STREET #341,NY,NY 10025. Once we receive your money order we will send a packet of information about our home, access code, etc. Please email the tracking number of Fedex." Other emails followed up to 07/17/218 and in addition a returned phone call from John answering some email clarifications.
Once we arrived at the unit 513, Sandpiper Dunes, Ocean City we were greeted with the family who lives there year round and we were SCAMMED. Also Sandpiper Management indicated the John and Cheryl miller Rentals had also SCAMMED another family the week before in unit 518.
I have 25 pages of copied emails , a signed rental agreement, online pictures on the rental, copy of the cashiers check made of to Cheryl Miller a fedex address label, a fedex record of R. Silvia signing for the Fedex envelope, and a police report with the Anne Arundel County Police.