In the news recently, you may have seen a new and growing scam involving rental properties on social media. It's known as rental fraud, and cases are rising here in Doncaster. The Property Hive want to raise awareness of this type of fraud to help prevent other tenants from falling victim.
What to look out for?
The scammers pretend to be the owners of properties that are often being advertised legitimately for let by Landlords or Letting Agents. Links and pictures from websites are frequently shared in this scam to create a perception of authenticity. Their objective is to convince prospective tenants that they own a property to rent and will request payment of a deposit or rent so the prospective tenants can secure it.
The fraudsters will always want to trick tenants into dealing with them, not the legitimate landlord or Agent. They will often have a seemingly believable story about why they cannot provide access to the property themselves to show you around or meet in person.
They will request a deposit or rental payment to secure the property, which unsuspecting tenants never see again.
These scammers are taking advantage of a shortage of available homes and tenants' eagerness to secure a property and have become quite sophisticated. They will often have obtained internal pictures of a property and can provide fake identification and other legal documents to trick prospective tenants into believing they are dealing with the actual Landlord or representative.
Because all of this is happening on social media platforms and apps like WhatsApp, their identity is hidden, and it is almost impossible for the authorities to track them down.
Scammers are waiting to find their next victim in social media groups and forums and prey on vulnerable tenants who have seen an advert on platforms like Facebook or are contacted directly after posting a message about their search.
How to avoid rental fraud
To avoid being duped into one of these scams, The Property Hive recommend that prospective tenants deal directly with reputable Estate and Letting Agents and avoid reaching out on social media when looking to find a property, as this may invite unwanted attention.
Here are some tips and advice to help avoid becoming a victim of these types of scams when looking to rent a property:
- Always ensure you view a property and are provided access inside before entering into discussions with anyone about renting it.
- Never pay money to someone you have never met in person, and you have confirmed they are the real owner of a property.
- Wherever possible, look at properties with a reputable Estate or Letting Agent as you are provided more protection and legal rights.
- Avoid reaching out on social media asking if anyone knows about a property to let. You may be unwittingly inviting scammers to contact you.
- Don't trust adverts or offers that seem too good to be true.
- Ask for copies of tenancy agreements and any safety certificates such as gas and electricity before sending any money.
What to do if you've been scammed?
If you think you have been a victim of this type of rent fraud scam, you should contact the Police and your bank immediately. You can gain more information and support from Action Fraud via their website: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/rental-fraud.
