Is this a scam?

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I have an ad up on Craig's List for my room to rent. The following is my semi-redacted correspondence with "Monica". (That's the name this person used, I'm just not convinced it's this person's real name.)

I have preserved all of her comments exactly, including syntax, spelling, and spacing.

On 10/5/2009 at 8:39am, monica cynthia <gosimonica2@gmail.com> also sprach:
Hey,
I am Interested in your place,please let me know if it still available for rent...i will be glad if you can send me pics and details of the place including the time frame when it will be available.

On Mon, 05 Oct 2009 at 6:14pm, SzczerbiakManiac wrote back:
Hi Monica,

There some pictures of the bedroom and the bathroom here:
<URL for the ad she just responded to, which includes four pictures>

As for details, the room is roughly 12'x11' with a large closet and a window that faces North looking up the Sepulveda pass. It comes with a private full bathroom. The kitchen and living room would be shared with me. The bedroom is on the top corner of a three story building that is adjacent to the 405 freeway. (the cross streets of XXXX and YYYY in LA) I keep to myself most of the time, but will watch some TV in the living room. I am a night owl, but I keep the noise to a minimum. The one exception to the low-noise level is once a week I host a Dungeons & Dragons game and that can at times be boisterous, but we don't play past 11:00pm. You would have one assigned parking space that is tandem with mine. There is free parking on the street.

It's available to move in right now. I can usually be home in time to show the room after 6:00pm on weeknights or afternoons on weekends.

Please don't hesitate to ask if you have further questions or would like to schedule a visit.

On 10/5/2009 at 2:44am, Monica Cynthia <jbisuw@gmail.com> also sprach:
Thanks for getting back to me ,My name is Monica Cynthia.,I am 25yrs
old,I am fun-loving, personal, friendly,clean, caring,and respectful
of others. a non-smoker, don't do drugs, not a drinker,and drama free.
I've been searching and searching for two weeks for a place and been
having no luck,Males/females doesn't matter
as well as homes with a lot of roommates. I graduated last year ,
I am single and have no children. However, I don't have dogs. Am
coming for my masters degree . I was born in Virginia Beach in
Virginia. My dad is from there too but my mum is from Canada.Am on
research work at Guam (USA), am almost done.with that Because its part
of my prerequisite for my masters in Micro-Biology . I would have
loved to call you but I am not mobile my mobile have been disconnected
due to moving out of Guam.Am really interested in renting from you and
will really want to know
everything about the place .I do really love pets but I don't have any
at the moment. I would have loved to see it but am very far,but with
pictures,I am glad.

I will also like you to tell me more about you and if you have
pets. i don't smoke.Please let me know the total payment of the place
and more over I will send your email to my dad for him to email you
later Because He is the one that will be paying the bills(Rent and
deposit fees), but nevertheless,I will like you to send me your full
Name and the mailing address, your phone number as well, so that my
Dad will issue out the payment (Check)for the place as soon as
possible,with that you can hold on the place for me till I come . I
will be looking forward to your email soonest Here is my Dad Contact
e-mail lammchris1@yahoo.com .here is my pics in graduation robe and my
family.
Thanks and have a nice day
Best Regards
Monica

[attached was a picture of a young woman in blue gown with four other taller, probably older, nicely dressed people standing next to a brick wall.]

All of these set off little alarms:

• "However, I don't have dogs"
  I don't require dogs in my ad. In fact, they're prohibited in my building.
• Almost done with a Masters degree and has horrible grammar
• Syntax is weird, as if being written by someone whose first language is not English
  E.g., "I would have loved to see it but am very far,but with pictures,I am glad."
  Not that being a native-speaker is a relevant quality in a roommate, but it doesn't fit the background offered.
• Says is a non-smoker more than once
• Wants me to send full name, phone number, and mailing address to a third party [red lights and deafening klaxons]
  Gee, would you like my Social Security Number and Bank Account Number as well?
• Wants me to hold the place until she arrives (and when would that be?) without having seen it
• Like I care what she looks like, assuming that picture really is her.
• The second e-mail came from a different address (don't ask me about the time stamp, I'm baffled too)

So what do y'all think?

[Strangler Lewis]

Scam. "Dad" will send too much money and ask for a refund, and then the original check, wire, moneygram will turn out to be bogus.

Something like that.

[Gemini Cricket]

Scam-arama.

Just a hunch.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

also sprach ?

what language is that? German?

[SzczerbiakManiac]

thus spake
as in "Also sprach Zarathustra"
yes, it's German

[lashbear]

Run a mile !!

Also, I ouldn't consider anyone who won't be paying their own rent personally. It's too easy for them to say "Oh, didn't he pay you? I'll have to chase him up for you"

[Alex]

Strangler Lewis nailed the scam in question. You'll eventually get a fraudulent or stolen check with the hope that you cash and send money before it is caught.

[Gemini Cricket]

Scam-a-lama-ding-dong.

[wendybeth]

"Scam, scam, scam, scam,..........."

[Gemini Cricket]

Scambled eggs and scam.