Jul 6, 2009
Just thought I'd put in my two cents here. I don't live in the Chicago area, but my best friend from high school does and knows Thomas Flanagan, a.k.a Lady Vera Parker (that's his drag name, for those not in the know) personally. He was telling me all about this scam just because he thought it was a funny story to tell, but I thought I'd come here and pass along the info. According to my friend, yes, this is a scam, and yes, the positive comments here were posted by Lady Vera herself or a friend and are not genuine.
Again, just my two cents. All of this information came to me second hand—Like I said, I don't even live in Chicago—so make of that what you will.
Also, just to add a helpful tip to balance out the gossip, anyone who's apartment hunting, in Chicago or anywhere else, would do well to heed the advice listed here: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams. The first item, highlighted in yellow, is of particular importance and relevance to the situation at hand.