Mums left homeless and out of pocket after separate rental scams on Facebook Marketplace

A young mother and her five-month-old daughter have been left homeless after falling victim to a shocking and heartless rental scam.

A young mother and her five-month-old daughter have been left homeless after falling victim to a shocking rental scam.

Ms Varney, who did not want her first name published, said she hoped that sharing her devastating experience would help others and serve as a reminder about scammers lurking online.

“I had been looking for a property for the past seven months when I found this place on Facebook Marketplace,” Ms Varney told NCA NewsWire on Friday.

“I was in contact with the person and they told me they were interstate with family, and that’s why they wanted to rent the property.”

Ms Varney was told to drive past the Piara Waters home, in Perth’s southeast, to see it for herself.

“They sent me the address and I went with my mum to see it. I said I was interested,” she said.

Ms Varney lost $1800 in a rental scam after responding to a Facebook Marketplace advertisement. Picture: Supplied via NCA NewsWire

After completing some paperwork and paying an $1800 bond, Ms Varney then tried to email the scammers but the account was disabled.

She was also unsuccessful at contacting them on Facebook and the advertisement was taken down.

“It didn’t click with me that it was a scam,” she said.

“I feel pretty bad because things like this have been in the news.”

Ms Varney said she remained hopeful of recovering the lost money but there was no guarantee.

She and her daughter are currently living with Ms Varney’s mother in Armadale.

In a separate incident, a mother and her four children were also left homeless after losing $3600 to a scammer who was advertising a Clarkson property on Facebook Marketplace.

She never met the fake landlord but did drive past the property.

Then when she went to move in, the keys were not in the agreed spot and the home was occupied by tenants who had used a legitimate property agent.

Rental stress has been a concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: Generic image. Unsplash/Christian Erfurt

Consumer Protection said there had been 18 reports of rental scams so far this year, with five people losing a total of $7200.

Commissioner Lanie Chopping said tenants looking for rentals should not send money for properties without an inspection.

“Responding to online classified ads or social media posts is very risky, so prospective tenants need to at least view the property and meet the landlord or their agent before handing over any money,” she said.

“Often the scammers will say that they are overseas or interstate so they can’t physically meet or show them the property, but will leave the keys hidden outside for them to gain access after a bond and rent in advance are paid.”

Ms Chopping said scammers often asked for identification documents to be sent, which could expose people to identity theft.

“These heartless scammers are exploiting the desperation of tenants who may face being homeless unless they can secure a rental and the victims can least afford to lose money to fraudsters,” she said.

“To be safe, we would recommend people considering renting properties unseen to go through a licensed real estate or property management agency rather than responding to online ads.”

Consumer Protection says there have been 18 reports of rental scams so far this year. Picture: Generic housing image. NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

TIPS TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED:

• Be suspicious of properties available for below the current rental value;
• Never rely on photos. Do a reverse image search;
• Search the address online to see if the property exists or is listed by a different agency;
• Only deal with landlords you can meet, or go through a real estate agent;
• Inspect the property before signing a lease agreement or paying money;
• Get the keys and a copy of the signed lease agreement in exchange for any funds paid;
• Be careful about paying funds via direct bank transfer; and
• If in doubt, contact WA ScamNet on 1300 30 40 54.