Fraudsters are becoming increasingly active in the online rental market, so tenants \u2013 and genuine landlords \u2013 need to make sure they are not taken in by scams.<\/p>\n
Many tenants look online when they need a new place to rent. It\u2019s the obvious choice for today\u2019s internet savvy generation. A woman in Exeter thought she had found the perfect flat when she placed an ad on Gumtree. Sadly, it turned out to be anything but the perfect flat.<\/p>\n
Fraudsters Target Free Advertising Platforms<\/strong> Stolen Property Listings<\/strong> The RLA believes not enough is being done to protect tenants.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the duty of websites where properties are advertised to show some due diligence in establishing that a property is valid.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fraudsters are becoming increasingly active in the online rental market, so tenants \u2013 and genuine landlords \u2013 need to make sure they are not taken in by scams. Many tenants look online when they need a new place to rent. … Continue reading
\nFed up with living in supported accommodation, the tenant<\/a> advertised for a flat suitable for tenants on benefits. A woman got in touch offering a one-bed flat, but when the tenant asked to go and view the place, the landlord said she couldn\u2019t take the time off work after being messed around by previous time-wasters. Her story seemed genuine and the tenant was sent a deposit guarantee letter and a signed tenancy agreement<\/a>. This was enough to persuade her to transfer a \u00a3500 deposit to the landlord\u2019s account, which disappeared without trace, just like the bogus landlord.<\/p>\n
\nThis story is not uncommon and fraudsters typically use listings stolen from genuine property ads, with a few key details changed to suit the ad. Sites like Gumtree do provide plenty of resources to alert people looking for rental property, but scammers continue to run amok.<\/p>\n