Still Gullible

After sending out dire warnings to friends and family members about always being aware of current scams and to be careful on the Internet, I got sucked in for a few minutes this morning.  I would rather just be embarrassed in private and not confess to the world about my gullibility, but that doesn't help anyone else who may fall victim.  I think you all know how I feel about scam artists.  They are the scum of the earth who swindle innocent people out of whatever they can get.  They take advantage of people in bad situations who may not be thinking clearly.  My situation is not terrible, but I have been worried.  This morning I was offered a solution that was too good to be true.  For an hour I thought of the possibilities and even found myself getting excited.  Then reality hit with the second e-mail.  It wasn't true--that is why it was so perfect.  

From  my last post you all know what we are going through with our house.  My husband has been extremely stressed out lately wondering where we will end up.  He worries about having enough room in a rental providing that we can find one that will allow our dogs.  I have wanted to find a solution to relieve that stress.  I have had friends that I know who have house sat for long periods of time due to differing circumstances; friends who have leased to own and other non-traditional situations.  I am looking at all options right now.   I happened upon an ad for a large home in Oregon City whose owner is doing mission work for the next five years.  They claimed to need someone trustworthy to rent the house for a low rate and keep an eye on their 3 acres for them.  I started thinking about how much money we could save in five years and how great it would be to be in a large house on acreage.  The e-mail had a name, a phone number, the address of the house and other things that made it appear legit even though I was questioning it.  I put in the application which did NOT ask for my bank information or social security number.  I did give information that I wish I hadn't such as my employer and cell phone number.   These things could be found by someone easily enough.  Still, the thought of me handing them willingly to a lying piece of crap makes me nauseous.  Sorry, I do have strong feelings about situations like this.

I received an excited reply from the supposed homeowner telling me that we sounded like the perfect renters and that all we needed to do was to send a thousand dollar deposit to them through Western Union.  They advised me not to talk to the realtor whose name is on the sign out front because they didn't want them to know that they decided to handle the property on their own.  The daydream bubble burst and I went from hopeful to pissed off and defeated in a matter of seconds.  I wrote back telling them that I had checked into things and found that they were not who they purported to be and that I found them disgusting.  I told them that Karma is real and that someday they would pay for taking advantage of people.  I think I also put something in there about them choosing the wrong path in life and never being able to find happiness until they changed their ways.  Yes--stupid, sappy and a little pissy--not well thought out.  I blocked them, informed the rental site and now sit here confessing my complete clueless, delusional stupidity to all of you.  I can see how those really lost could reach out for something so tempting.  What we want to be real seldom is.  I don't mean that in a pessimistic way it is just that reality is so different depending on the perspective.  I believe I have stopped making sense.  I need to take a deep breath.  There is a plan for us.  We will land on our feet and find the right place to live.  All will be fine as long as I keep my head on  straight and not fall victim to desperation.  It is a little depressing to find that no matter how careful I try to be, I'm still gullible.