Sunshine Coast mum warns of social media scams during rental crisis

A Sunshine Coast mum is warning would-be renters to be wary of social media scams targeting desperate people during the housing crisis. Read about her near miss.

Amanda Agland said she nearly lost over $3000 to a Facebook rental scam.

A Sunshine Coast mum is warning would-be renters of social media scams targeting desperate people during the housing crisis after she nearly was duped out of thousands of dollars in a fake Facebook ad.

Mountain Creek resident Amanda Agland has been searching for a property through all the usual channels but had been getting desperate when a friend sent her a post from Facebook advertising a place in Maroochydore.

“We need to stay in this immediate area because I am a local business owner and my children go to this school,” she said.

Ms Agland said she emailed the poster, who said they were out of state, and had begun trying to line up the paperwork and organise an inspection.

“I asked when it would be okay to have a look at the property and she emailed back a whole heap of photos of the property and said I can't take you to view it as I’m out of town at the moment as my mother-in-law has passed away,” she said.

It wasn’t until Ms Agland, who was familiar with the street the advertised house was on, turned up to the property that she figured out what was really happening.

“I pulled up and the Mum was in the driveway with her two older sons,” she said.

“I asked if that duplex on the other side was up for rent and they all just looked at each other and said ‘oh no, not again’.”

Amanda Agland said she nearly lost over $3000 to a Facebook rental scam.

Ms Agland said the residents at the address had told her people had been showing up at all hours, ready to move in after having paid the money, and knocking on the doors.

“She said the last lot of people had just moved across from New Zealand,” she said.

“It’s been happening to these people for a while apparently.”

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said they had seen recent examples of victims sending money for rentals advertised on social media who had sent money for bonds or deposits and then discovered the ad was fake.

“Scammers may try to appear genuine by providing photos, real addresses, land title deeds and even scans of stolen passports,” she said.

“They scam you by asking for bond and rent money to secure the property.”

Amanda Agland said the social media scams for renters were targeting vulnerable people.

Ms Agland said she hadn’t realised how prolific these kinds of scams were as she hasn’t moved house in over six years.

“This is a whole new ball game for me to what it was back then,” she said.

“I felt let down because I thought I’d finally found somewhere to go but I was also really angry and sad as in this really bad time and situation people are being taken advantage of.

“It's horrendous.”

The police spokeswoman said people needed to make sure they inspect the property before sending any money and be wary if the owner continuously makes excuses as to why that can’t happen.

“Do an internet search, with images from the advertising, to check they haven’t been copied from another site,” she said.

Anyone who has been the victim of a cybercrime can report it at ReportCyber.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast mum warns of social media scams during rental crisis