New tenant scams target young

26/06/2009

Young British tenants are being conned by unscrupulous landlords and landladys, an investigation has revealed.

Online scams offering fake rental properties are conducted through sites including Gumtree and Craigslist, the BBC reports.

Con artists are demanding cash deposits from applicants and then making off with the proceeds.

Often, the rooms advertised do not even exist in reality.

Sophie, 23, told the broadcaster that she had been taken in by a "landlady" who offered a room in an attractive London flat for £85 a week.

She agreed to transfer £400 without seeing the property, only for the landlady to stop answering her emails.

Sophie said: "I was really upset and kind of mostly annoyed. Looking back it's so obvious.

"But when you need something really quick … It's just horrible that people can do that."

When contacted by the BBC, representatives at Gumtree said that it "does its best" to prevent such scams being advertised on the site - and pointed out that the "vast majority" of users have a "safe and successful experience".

Tags; Housing Debt and Bills, Recent Graduate Debt,

Regional Debt Advice; Debt Help London,

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