Folks, ya gotta believe in answers to prayers. I feel like I was saved from a disaster, and I hope others will be too! I know this is kind of long, but I need advice, so please read if you have time!
News is out: We are moving to...Connecticut! I learned how to spell Massachusetts upon moving here, and now I have to learn how to spell this one too. I just think Connect - i - cut. I got it. MA was a little trickier, I had to figure out how many S's and where and how many T's too. I've always been a good speller, but that is a doosy of a state to spell.
Keith accepted a job at Sikorsky and will work on supa-cool helicopters and is trying to convince me to let him buy a supa-cool motorcycle to "save on gas." He promises to wear a helmet....I know Mom, I'll totally be expecting your phone call on the supa-cool motorcycle.
Meanwhile, we have been praying like MAD to get everything in order. On Sunday we found an amazing deal on a two apartments in Connect-i-cut and I was really excited because we were going to save a LOT of money. They were both fully furnished and both of the families were living out of the area, so we couldn't run down and have a look-see. I emailed both of them and they were REALLY excited about the prospect of our little family moving into their apartment or house to take good care of it for them. One was serving a "mission" for another church in Africa, and the other was taking care of their poor mother-in-law with cancer (I would feel bad, except for what I'm about to tell you). After filling out questionnaires and asking a ton of questions they seemed to be dream come trues. I was stoked! I applied for both places and they both wanted us to move in. I felt distraught because they both seemed like such great deals. And if it seems to good to be true, it probably is....as the saying goes:
I kept praying about both of the places and didn't feel anything, but this morning I couldn't sleep after putting Lily back to bed at 7 am. I finally dragged myself into the living room with a bowl of cereal and turned on the TODAY show.
They had a feature on Real Estate Today and they began talking about good ol' Craigslist (still love it). They spoke about scam artists who were posting people's homes as rental units. People had put their homes on the market and then they would steal their pictures from real estate sites, and post them as rentals on Craigslist. They would claim to be "out of the country, perhaps serving a mission in Africa" or in such a way that they would have to "mail the key." They would ask for money to be sent Western Union...This poor lady had a family show up at her door with a moving van, trying to fit a bogus key into her door. They were ready to move on in!!! Scammed, poor guys out of $2,100.
Once I picked my jaw up off the floor I knew INSTANTLY that this was the exact situation I had been about to get myself into. I thought back to how I had pointed out to Keith that they sounded foreign by the way they wrote things. I had also pointed out to him how they both said "we have a store for your furniture." It was such an odd way to say storage...I am glad I hesitated to decide which place to take. I am also incredibly grateful that my prayers were answered and I couldn't sleep this morning and happened to watch that segment. I am also steaming mad at these horrible people...
So here's my dilemma: These people are SCAMMING other people out of their money. Good people. Families, that hand over 2 months rent plus a deposit. Is there a way I can help catch them? Should I let the local police know? Should I contact the real home owners and let them know their house is being scammed? Should I just go do what I'm avoiding right now and start packing and looking for a real place for us to move into in 2 and a half weeks? hehe...I really should go, but I was wondering if ya'll have any advice to catch a bunch of scheming con artists?
