Bosses at internet listings site Gumtree will meet with the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) to discuss scam in which fraudsters posing as landlords demand cash for viewings.
The RLA has issued a warning over the online advertisements which often include cloned logos from websites including the RLA’s DepositGuard scheme.
The ads often show a very attractive and affordable flat. But when prospective tenants call to arrange a viewing they are typically told that the landlord lives far way, sometimes abroad and that they must provide a deposit to secure a viewing – a figure usually in the region of £1,500.
However once the cash has been paid they never hear from the scammers again.
Since the warning was issued Gumtree has contacted the RLA saying representatives are happy to sit down with the RLA to talk about the best way to tackle the issue.
Landlords whose properties have been caught up in a scam of this kind can contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions.
If any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
Please help us by reporting comments you consider to be unduly offensive so we can review and take action if necessary. Thank you.
.png)
Join the conversation
Jump to latest comment and add your reply
People need to be much more guarded about anything advertised before handing over money. A few years ago my son answered an advert for a car that was advertised on Gumtree. It was priced a little to low to be real but being young, my son aranged to buy it and was advised to take the £4000 in cash the next evening to the address provided in the London area. When he could not find the exact address, (no doubt it didn't exist) he phoned the guy and explained where he was and was told to stay there and they would come to him. A few minutes later two dark skinned guys arrived, shoved a gun in my son's face and demanded the £4k. Fortunately he had left the cash in his car with his wife and it was a couple of hundred yards away. He refused to take them to his car as he did not wish to endager his wife. He was then bashed on the head several times with the gun but following a distraction, he managed to escape, ran to his car and his wife had to drive him to hospital, where he was detained because of his head wounds. The police were advised but nothing came of it yet the same advert was still showing on Gumtree over a week later with no action taken by the police. It's not just fake landlords people need to be wary of.
Their are lot of very nasty people out there who seem to be above the law.
Please login to comment