Consumer Protection has warned tenants desperate to secure a rental property in the current tight market that some of them are being targeted by scammers.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Lanie Chopping said there had been 18 reports of rental scams so far this year with five people losing a total of $7,200.
“In a recent case a mother and her four children are now homeless after losing $3,600 to a scammer who was advertising a Clarkson property on Facebook Marketplace,” Ms Chopping said.
“The mother never met the fake landlord and when she went to move in on the agreed date, the keys were not in the agreed spot and she found the home was occupied by tenants who had an agreement with the legitimate property agent.
Ms Chopping also gave the example of a young mother with one child who had been forced to move back to living with her mother after losing a $1,800 bond payment when responding to an advertisement on Facebook Marketplace.
“As soon as the payment was made for a property in Piara Waters, the ad disappeared and the fake landlord’s email account was deleted,” she said.
Ms Chopping urged tenants looking for rentals not to send money for properties they haven’t inspected.
“Responding to online classified ads or social media posts is very risky, so prospective tenants need to at least view the property and meet the landlord or their agent before handing over any money,” the Commissioner said.
“These heartless scammers are exploiting the desperation of tenants who may face being homeless unless they can secure a rental, and the victims can least afford to lose money to fraudsters.”
Consumer Protection recommends people considering renting properties unseen to go through a licensed real estate or property management agency rather than responding to online advertisements, she said.
