Gardaí are warning the public to stay vigilant for scams and accommodation fraud as students return to college this autumn.
As students utilise the internet to find accommodation for the upcoming year, Gardaí have asked that they remain vigilant and to be very wary of social media advertisements for rental properties or where the contact details appear to be based in other jurisdictions. Incidents of accommodation fraud reported to An Garda Siochána last year was on the increase, with about 50% of these complaints coming from people under the age of 25.
Other red flags to watch out for are; only communicating with the landlord online, with them stating they are unable to meet you at the accommodation and/or requesting cash, wire transfers, vouchers or cryptocurrency. Gardaí have advised that all would be renters do their homework, measure the costs of rent for prospective accommodation against the average in the area and to be aware that “if the rent seems too good to be true, it usually is.”
Make sure to use online maps to check the property actually exists at the stated address and keep copies of all correspondence between the renter and advertiser. Gardaí also recommend that where possible to;
use an established bona fide rental agency
always meet a prospective landlord in the accommodation which is being rented
ask for identification and do some homework to verify the person is the owner of the property
pay the deposit to the landlord or agency through trusted money transfer systems and not the persons leaving the property, courier or other person.
For other tips and advice on how to avoid accommodation fraud, visit the fraud section at the Garda webside, www.garda.ie or, “Be careful of rent scams”, on www.threshold.ie
