City Inn Bristol - Do you think I'm being scammed ?

Do you think I'm being scammed ?

I've advertised a room for rent on Craigslist. A women form S.Africa has responded saying she is coming to England for a 6month media course with the BBC in Bristol. She wants to send me SA$3000 in advance and then I'm to purchase her airline tickets and deduct a months rent......here's the e-mail.......... ******About payment: I intend arriving 10 december. My 1 month Voice grooming at the local BBc radio at Bristol start 5th January 2010. Probs is ive been granted a $3,000 travel cheque (equivalent £1,700GBP) to pay for my accommodation and flight ticket inclusive.It was supposed to be arranged by agency. I found that most UK agencies charge exhobitant handling fees! And their room rent per month or week are killing too. So im left with you to help. So what i plan doing is asking my ceo to re-issue it in your name for payment of rents/deposit. Ofcourse it will include money for my flight ticket. Thus after you deduct your rent amount, you will give £700GBP to the SAA agency to book my flight from your side. Simply go cash the cheque from the airport or any uk post office. My time is close at hand, very near. If you are willing , let me call you to explain further. Or simply give me name to issue it in and address to send it by courier on or before banking hours of Friday. Is it okay? ******* Is it some sort of scam? Moneylaundering perhaps ? I know it's a scam.....I'm just wondering exactly how they benefit. I don't quite get how they make money. What good are the air tickets?

Public Comments

This is definitely a scam Do not touch it with a bargepole. I have seen this scenario so many times on 'watchdog' and news programmes - I'm amazed you have to ask.
Not sure if it's a scam or not, but it's certainly way too complicated just for 6 months rent. Ignore it and move on to the next one.
Absolutely, She'll get you to cash the cheque -which will bounce then you'll buy her flight which you'll never see the money for Why on earth would she want you to book her flight anyway- just get rid of her and her lies
na ....send me the money instead ..can guarantee never to trouble you again ......
scam, the cheque may not bounce, it might go into your account, but later it will be found to be dud and the bank gets its cash back. Repeat, the cheque clearing is not enough, don't pay a cheque in and say 'that's ok' if you see a balance, it might not be. you'd need to pay for a 'special presentation' of the cheque, but it's a waste of money, it is so likely to be a fraud.
That goes without saying....
Tell them tro send you straight cash $$$$.
Are you serious? If she has 1700 to send to you, why couldn't she just pay the 700 to travel herself? If you are even remotely believing this, I've got some magic beans to sell you. I'll give you a great deal.
Looks like a scam to me. Going through this process provides details of your bank account to this person for one thing, and for another, no landlord should ever get themselves involved in a tenant's banking arrangements in any way, nor would a legitimate tenant request it. Did you check with BBC Bristol that this person is expected there for a one month "voice grooming" course? :) In any event, I'm sure you know you don't need to jump through bizarre International financial antics to rent your room. I would dump this and find a normal tenant.
I wouldn't do that in a million years. They would have to be related.
Definitely a scam. Do not reply. The person who sent this will ask you for your credentials (probably passport number) in exchange for the money. Naturally, you should not expect the money after you send the credentials, as that's what they're after.
This is a definite scam. I would get away from this.
its a money laundering scam, you deposit a fake cheque, wire real money, then your bank a week later finds its a fake cheque, you have to pay back all the money plus any bank charges and legal fees and they have to report the fake cheque to the police who may arrest you I got so many of these scams when I was trying to rent out my last place, 90% of people contacting me were scammers UK travel agencies don't charge any handling fees, they get commissions from the airline
If it sounds at all fishy its a scam.