8^th Mar 2019

The government body Action Fraud has reported that over the past few months, fraudsters posing as landlords have conned at least £20,000 out of prospective tenants by making them pay for rent in advance.

The body said it had received 28 reports of incidents where fraudsters purporting to be online landlords between December 2018 and February 2019, had scammed prospective tenants to pay them in advance to secure a home totalling £19,990.

The criminals conned the unsuspecting prospective renters, by pretending to be the landlords of properties advertised online and telling them that to secure the 'home' they would have to pay a deposit, and in some cases a month's rent, which would be secured with the T.D.S (Tenancy Deposit Scheme).

Once the money had been received the scammer would then send a fake email supposedly from the TDS confirming receipt of the deposit.

The unfortunate victims hoping to move into their new home very quickly found out that the money had been paid to the fraudster and they had little chance of retrieving their money back, let alone moving into their new home.

Pauline Smith, director of Action Fraud, commented: “Devious fraudsters are targeting a whole host of victims, from university students to professionals, for their own selfish gain.

“Falling victim to rental fraud can have a huge impact on your finances at a crucial time where every penny counts. This is why it’s so important to follow our advice to protect yourself.”


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