Hello! If you are looking for an apartment in Austin Texas, reach out to me. I manage one community of 24 in the area. My company I work for has communities from North Austin all the way to South Austin!
Never pay down a deposit in a bank account until you have met the seller, seen signed a purchase agreement.
No serious private advertisers ask for a down payment before you meet.
Receiving an email with an in-scanned ID does not mean that you have identified the sender. You do this on the spot, when you sign a purchase agreement.