One QLD family’s close call with low-life rent scammer

A Queensland family almost handed over $2000 to a rental scammer but something did not add up. Read the texts and find out what happened when they went to inspect the property.

A Sunshine Coast family almost handed over $2000 to a rental scammer, but something did not add up.

At the time, Hannah Molen-Clarke’s mother-in-law Nicolle Skinner was desperately searching for a new place to live after her previous landlord decided not to renew her lease at Sippy Downs.

“They (Nicolle and Hannah’s husband Michael Clarke) had been focusing on real estate portals and filling out applications, but it was getting pretty desperate so I reached out on social media for help to find a private rental and that’s when the scammer contacted me,” Hannah said.

“She, or he, who knows, sent the address, photographs of the property and said we could sign a rental agreement, transfer the rent and bond money, and they would mail the keys with tracking.”

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Hannah Molen-Clarke and her mother in law Nicky Skinner. Picture Lachie Millard

The scammer claimed to have a disability and they were living interstate after surgery, saying they wanted someone “neat and tidy who will always take care of my property just their own because it so much precious to me”.

When Hannah asked to contact the scammer, they claimed they couldn’t speak by phone or video call, raising suspicions immediately.

So Hannah and Nicolle drove to the property that was supposedly available for rent.

Hannah said they spent a few minutes peeking over the fence, and went onto the veranda when a lady came out and asked “can I help you?”

“I didn’t expect anyone to be there,” Hannah said. “The scammer had said they were interstate and the place was vacant.”

The woman who answered the door was not the person that Hannah had been chatting to over social media.

She was the owner of the house.

“We were walking all over her property,” Hannah said. “When she came out, we were shocked, I was shaking a bit.

“I showed her the conversation I had been having with this person and she (the homeowner) was very sympathetic.

“She even showed us inside and it was nothing like the pictures I had been sent.”

Scammer texts to Hannah

With that new information, Hannah probed the scammer for more information to report to the authorities.

The scammer began asking for personal details, suggesting it wasn’t just cash they were trying to fleece, but identities too.

“The market is just horrible and I think, at the time, we were just overjoyed to have been offered something,” Hannah said.

“After going to the property, we knew it was a scam so I was determined to try and get as much information as possible to report to the authorities.

“It became a bit overwhelming though so I blocked and reported what I had.

“My mother-in-law has a legitimate rental now through an agency but at the time things were getting desperate.

“It is shocking that there are people out there feeding off the misery of others.”

Scammer texts to Hannah

And Hannah’s story is one of many.

Another desperate Sunshine Coast renter was also targeted by low-life social media scammers.

One offered up a property at Marcoola, and another offered up a house at Bli Bli.

When the Bli Bli scammer, who sent bank details, was told the conversation would be reported to the authorities, the scammer replied “f*** you animal”.

A search of Facebook failed to uncover the profile in question.

Hannah went to the address and the owner answered. She was invited inside and the house looked nothing like the pictures

The Courier Mail is not suggesting that the real people behind the profile names and pictures have done anything wrong.

“I can’t even think of the words to describe the people (scammers) who do this to vulnerable people,” Nicholle said.

“It was the day before my mum died that I got an email from my property manager saying I had to vacate.

“It was a stressful time as it was, and then we Nicholle and her three children) kept getting knocked back.

“I was really losing all hope.”

Red flag … the scammer did not want to communicate via any other means

Nicholle said she was relieved when she was offered a rental through a real estate, adding that there are “so many applying” for each property.

“You hear stories of people offering months in advance, and I heard of one couple who offered to pay a year upfront,” she said.

“It is desperate and there are so many decent people struggling to find accommodation.

“It is easy to see how someone might fall for a scam as they are truly desperate.

“These people (scammers), how low can you go? It is disgusting.”

***

THE FULL TRANSCRIPT

Scammer (S): Hello. I saw your post at Sunshine Coast rentals (Facebook). I have a house available for rent let me know if you still interested.

Hannah (H): Hi Christine, thanks so much for your message!! I posted on behalf of my in-laws and their search. I’d reallylove info to pass onto them!!! And I’m very happy to let you know more about them if you wanted more info.

S: How many bedrooms you looking for

H: 3 or more as one of the teens needs his own room

S: I have 3 bedroom

H: That would be brilliant

S: (Meridian Plains address provided and seven pictures) $400 weekly the bond is $1600

H: That would be amazing. Is this a private rental?

S: Yes it’s my house

S: It’s available at the moment and good to moved in. I’m currently out of the state. I’m a disabled just moved unplannedwith family for a surgery and have been in hospital here over 3 weeks now so I have to rent it out and all I want is someoneneat and tidy who will always take care of my property just like their own because it so much precious to me. And that’s whyI send you what’s inside look like and preferably long term rent

H: Thankyou, this owuld be amazing!!! How can my mother in law apply for it?

S: Like I said I’m not around and I have all the property keys with me here. You will have to send me your details to preparethe paperwork for you to sign up first then once payment make I will have to get your current address and post the keys toyou immediately and send tracking number and it should be delivered the next day so you can have the keys and moved in andwe start counting the rent if that’s okay by you.

H: I’ll send all this info to my mother in law and see what she says, thankyou so much for reaching out!!

By now, the scammer was asking for details that could have been used for identity fraud

S: Ok

H: Could I also please have your phone number so she (mother-in-law) can call you?

Scammer (S): I can only talk on here.

H: That’s ok, can I please video chat with you to talk about it? Also how did you want us to pay the bond money?

S: I can’t.

H: Would cash be ok? I send it to you?

S: You will send it to the bank details I will send you.

The scammer then asks for personal details including name, address, occupation, number, Gmail, and move in date, adding “that’sthe details I need for the paperwork”.

It is likely the scammer was also planning to steal the identity of her victims.

Hannah, who was by now suspicious, tried to engage the scammer further.

H: Sure, I ‘ll get her to fill in that info for you, what bank account can we send the bond money to?

S: When are you ready to send the bond?

H: I’ll ask my mother-in-law

S: Ok

H: She wants to transfer it tonight, whats your bank details?

S: I will send it to you once you are ready. And send me the details I ask you. How much are you sending.

It is now that Hannah blocks the scammer and the scammer vanishes from Facebook. Hannah reports the exchange to Scamwatch