Click here to view the original article ‘More ‘fake’ landlords pilfer agents’ marketing photos’
A would-be fraudster posing as a landlord has been using a letting agent’s photos to advertise a property they do not own.
The case sounds very similar case to the one reported by EYE earlier this month, which saw an estate agent warn about online fraudsters offering properties already on the market at reduced rates.
In this latest case, letting agency McCartan Lettings warned that scammers were active in the Swansea area.
The advertisers showcase properties at a lower rate than local agents on sites such as Facebook, Gumtree and Airbnb and request deposits and rent upfront once they have lured unsuspecting tenants in with the agents’ own marketing photos.
McCartan Lettings’ managing director Hannah McCartan told www.walesonline.co.uk: “We have been made aware by a concerned member of the public that an online fraudster is running a scam on one of our properties here in Swansea, using our marketing photos and advertising it as a private let.
“She was told by the fraudster that he didn’t live locally, but that she could view the property by looking through the windows.
“Thankfully, this rang alarm bells for her, and she contacted us to see if the landlord was also marketing it privately, which we have confirmed is not the case.
“Some would-be tenants prefer to deal directly with the landlord, saving money on referencing and admin costs.
“One of the benefits of working with a reputable letting agent is that the landlord is also checked to ensure the tenants are protected against imposter landlords – people who claim to own the property, but don’t.
“We are urging all private tenants to do basic due diligence referencing on their prospective landlords before parting with any money.”
