Beware of Rental Scams: How Facebook and Gumtree Are Being Used to Prey on Eager Renters

If you’re urgently searching for accommodation and browsing rental websites, you’re already at a disadvantage. Rental rates are soaring – in places like London, people pay close to £1,000 to live in tiny spaces barely big enough to hold a bed – and what was once common, like having a living room, is now considered a luxury. This challenging situation is further complicated by the presence of con artists.

Young adults now represent three-quarters of those affected by rental fraud, as stated by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). In the previous year, almost £9m was lost to about 5,000 reported incidents.

A recent report by the BBC highlighted a family who lost £2,000 to a fraudulent listing on Gumtree. The criminals even conducted a property tour before taking the money.

Most of these scams occur on platforms that allow individuals to post ads directly and without any fees, unlike larger property websites. As potential renters turn to social media and similar platforms to find housing, so too do fraudsters who pretend to be legitimate landlords or tenants to ensnare their victims.

Some platforms like Spareroom provide guidance on how to recognize scams.

Recognizing the Scam

The scams can vary, but often involve an individual posing as a landlord who advertises affordable rentals on platforms like Facebook rental groups or Gumtree.

These can range from studio apartments to rooms in larger shared flats. When you show interest, the scammer usually connects you with someone they claim is the current tenant via a mobile number.

This so-called tenant might share more details about the flat, sometimes through a video tour. However, if you request to visit the property, they become unavailable due to sudden emergencies or other excuses, and pressure you to pay the deposit swiftly.

How to Protect Yourself

• Never pay a deposit before actually seeing the property, regardless of your urgency to find housing.

• Always visit any property in person before agreeing to rent it.

• Gumtree recommends ensuring that the landlord can legally rent out the property and to have a tenancy agreement before paying any deposits or fees.

• Trust your instincts; if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

• On social media or listing websites, evaluate the landlord’s profile creation date, their activity duration, and if they list multiple properties with similar descriptions. Research their name online.

• Verify the legitimacy of landlords claiming affiliation with the NRLA through the appropriate channels.

• Report suspicious accounts to platforms like Facebook and Gumtree.