"Considerable money" lost in rental scam

Tuesday 18 February 2020

Two people have fallen victim to a scam in the last week when looking to rent a flat, and one of those people lost £2,300.

Guernsey Police are now urging people to make sure they are aware of the ongoing scam looking to dupe those in the market for rental flats.

A spokesperson for the force said: "It appears that rental properties within the Royal Terrace Complex are being advertised on social media such as Facebook, contact is [then] done via Messenger and SMS Text, [where] the scammer will state that they have a link to Jersey and possibly a property company there.

"The scammer will say that they will come over to Guernsey to show the prospective rentee around the property, the prospective rentee will then receive an invoice with UK bank account details and a request to pay the deposit and one months rent in advance."

Bailiwick Law Enforcement's Financial Criminal Team and Trading Standards are advising people looking to rent a property to be on their guard when entering into an agreement for anything which is advertised on social media and not connected to a local reputable letting agent. It was also advised people do not pay any deposits unless they have met the owner of the property if it is a private let or a verified representative in person.

If you suspect that you are the victim of a scam, you can contact the Police on 725111, Trading Standards on 234567 or report via Action Fraud 0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk.

Pictured top: The scam is looking to catch people out in the market for a rental property.