A landlord conman has been sentenced following a police probe into rental fraud, where almost £80,000 was falsely claimed from dozens of victims. 

Frederic James Priestley of Southwark in south London was sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison for fraud by false representation. 

Priestley was found to have defrauded more than 30 victims when he advertised a flat to rent online in Southwark, but never followed through with the rental agreements.

Between April and September 2025, Priestley advertised the flat to rent on a Facebook housing group, falsely claiming it was available. 

He emailed prospective tenants online, provided tenancy agreements to sign, and requested deposits and rent payments to be transferred to accounts he controlled. 

He would then contact the prospective tenants with a variety of excuses as to why he was unable to fulfil the agreements, including that there had been deaths in the family. 

In reality, he didn’t own the property and it was never available for rent.

A total of 34 separate reports were submitted to Action Fraud throughout last year, each relating to the same rental property. 

Police uncovered a systematic and sustained pattern of fraudulent offending.

Payments were made into his bank accounts between March and September 2025 from victims, with total receipts exceeding £77,000. 

Victims were targeted via social media and induced to transfer funds – typically ranging between £800 and £2,000 – under the guise of deposits and associated fees.

Priestley was arrested last October.

Detective Constable Abimbola Emiola, from the Met’s Economic Crime Team, says: “Priestley exploited people who were simply looking for somewhere to live, using convincing paperwork and false reassurances to make his scheme appear legitimate. 

“This was not an isolated incident, but a sustained fraud carried out over many months, affecting dozens of victims and causing significant financial and emotional distress. 

“This sentence demonstrates that we will pursue those who abuse online platforms to commit fraud. 

“We encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim to report it as soon as possible.”