Tenants Warned Against Gumtree Online Scam

 

A new scam targetting tenants on the online classifieds website Gumtree has been identified by the National Landlord Association (NLA).

The NLA claims that a number of tenants who have been defrauded have contacted the association, having been victim of scams mostly focusing on overseas tenants.

The typicals scam works as follows: Potential tenants respond to an advertisement on the website offering rental accomodation in the UK. After a sequence of emails, the tenants are asked to send money to the "landlord". However, having sent the funds, when the tenant tries to contact the 'landlord' or obtain keys to the property, they are not contactable and the potential tenant has been defrauded.

The NLA has paid particular interest in exposing this latest scam as the person posing as the 'landlord' claims to be a member of the NLA, uses the NLA logo and has even created fake stationery based upon the authentic documents used by the NLA's Tenant Check service.

The NLA's Director of Operations, Richard Price commented on the scam, saying: "Tenants, no matter where they are from, should not send payment to advertisers before they are certain that the advertiser is genuine."

He continued, "Overseas applicants needing to secure accomodation before they arrive in the UK would be well advised to first seek the help of the employer or university they are coming to. They will be knowledgeable of standard practices in the UK and often have lists of accredited landlords and local letting agents."

 

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