Gold Coast rental scam: Real estate issues warning about online scammers

Household hunters have been warned about a cruel on-line rip-off which has ripped off thousands from would-be tenants.

Authorities are investigating alleged Fb Marketplace fraudsters who took advantage of the tight rental current market on the Gold Coastline to fleece $30,000 from at minimum 10 victims, like solitary mums.

The rip-off resulted in three people and removing vehicles turning up to their ‘new home’ at Pimpama very last weekend, only uncover to uncover they’d been duped.

It has prompted the horrified serious estate agent leasing the $550 a week household to difficulty an urgent warning to future tenants to be cautious about on the net platforms they’re viewing qualities on.

Gold Coastline serious estate agent Emma Snowdon (pictured) has warned potential renters to be vigilant in their residence lookup

One mum Marie-Claire Lord is preparing to make the 700km move from Newcastle NSW to the Sunshine State.

She came across the 3 bedroom duplex on the web advertised for $500 a 7 days and handed about a $2,000 bond to the ‘landlord’.

Her worst fears were being realised after she identified the exact home advertised on realestate.com.au for a different rate and bought in call with the stated agent.

Ms Lord noted the alleged fraud to Queensland Police and is now spreading the phrase to warn other future renters.

‘The worst part is I’m not the only man or woman. We are upwards of 10 different victims and upwards of $30,000,’ she wrote on the net.

‘Anyone in the rental marketplace demands to be manufactured informed of these predators.’

She advised the Gold Coastline Bulletin: ‘It may well not be a great deal of funds to drop for some but it felt to me like my desires have been crushed.’

Mum of four Patricia Pomare (pictured still left outside the residence she was hoping to rent) suggests she paid out $3,000 to a ‘landlord’ prior to realising she experienced been scammed on the internet

Mother-of-4 and change employee Patricia Pomare is on the brink of homelessness acquiring put in her complete savings in attempting to find a new household.

She expressed fascination in the same Pimpama duplex on Fb Market, and was told by the ‘landlord’ who went by the identify of Regina Bray that she was the ‘ideal tenant’.

She paid $3,000 for the bond and a different four months of lease before realising she much too experienced been cheated after talking to the true estate.

‘I located it on (Fb) Marketplace, I just could not obtain anything at all on real estate,’ Ms Pomare advised Nine Information. 

‘I went via all the techniques, she sent the software sorts to me, I loaded them out and despatched it back again. They did seem genuine.’

She’s now sleeping in her car or truck.

‘I have nowhere to go,’ she added.

The saga has also expense Ms Pomare her marriage with her grownup daughter as the pair experienced been organizing to go halves in leasing the residence.

She desires the alleged scammer tracked down and jailed.

A few people turned up to their ‘new home’ (pictured) at Pimpama previous weekend, only find to learn they’d been duped on the net

Future tenants looking to transfer into the $550 a week residence (pictured) have been allegedly fleeced by scammers on Facebook Marketplace

It is recognized at the very least two other potential tenants ended up also allegedly ripped off about the similar home.

Wings Serious Estate Helensvale senior property supervisor Emma Snowdon has not noticed a this sort of a brazen act in her eight yrs in the actual estate market.

She urged future tenants to be vigilant about what they are undertaking and the on line platforms they are viewing properties.

‘The lengths this scammer went to overtly prey on vulnerable renters is unbelievable. It can be no unique to concentrating on the aged,’ she mentioned.

‘People are desperate to hire at the minute and will generally try to do whatever they can to secure a assets.’

Every day Mail Australia contacted a number of victims and Wings Real Estate Helensvale for even further comment.

Cybercrime watchdog Australian Cyber Protection Centre has referred reviews of the alleged fraud to Queensland and NSW Police.

The state’s Household Tenancy Authority urges tenants to treat landlords with suspicion if they refuse to meet up with in particular person and to get a bond receipt from the company.

Possible tenants are urged to be vigilant as on-line scammers check out to just take gain of a limited rental current market on the Gold Coast (pictured)