Wiltshire communities warned fraudsters taking advantage of housing market
Police have given advice and tips on how to spot scammers
We are being warned that con artists and fraudsters in Wiltshire are changing their tactics to take advantage of the turbulent housing market.
Wiltshire Police believe they’re targeting potential tenants.
Fortunately, most landlords and letting agents are genuine but tenants are warned to be vigilant.
Fraud Protect Officer Rachel Davies advises prospective tenants to find out if a landlord is registered with an approve tenancy deposit scheme (DPS).
“Tenants should then also check whether their deposit has been protected or not – they can do that by calling the tenancy deposit protection scheme directly.
“Only ever transfer money to reputable landlords who can prove they are registered with an approved tenancy deposit scheme – ideally you should meet the landlord first and view the property before handing over any cash.”
Fake posts on sites such as Gumtree are asking for deposits to be paid online up front, before asking for ‘proof of funds’ where consumers are asked transfer funds to a friend or relative and then provide a scanned copy of the transaction.
Without the tenants knowledge, this transaction contains sufficient information for scammers to reach the money before the intended recipient.
Spotting fraudsters
Wiltshire Police have issued the following signs to look out for when dealing with a potential scammer:
Missing key components in the advert, such as the full address, photos, history.
• Unusual added extras, such as free moving boxes, packing help, free relocation services, or anything that’s too good to be true – it often is!
• A cheap price. It’s a good idea to do some research on market prices in the same area for comparison to determine if the listing price is actually fake.
• No background or credit checks required in the advert. Scammers often leave this out when creating the listing so they attract more prospective renters, which may include those with a smaller credit score or someone with a criminal background.
• A landlord refusing to show you the property. Often, their excuses are that they are out of town or dealing with a family emergency. It is a major warning sign when they don’t even agree to arranging a virtual property tour.
• A landlord demanding for you to pay the deposit immediately without papers for tasks like end of tenancy cleaning.
• They will often panic you into the payment by saying there is high interest in the unit and that you will need to put in your down payment as soon as possible to reserve it. Never give money to a landlord unless they show you the property and you have a legitimate contract.
Anyone who may have been a victim of fraud should contact Action Fraud online or by phone on 0300 123 2040.