Latest news with #rentalScams
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Banks warn customers to be vigilant over holiday scams
Banks are urging customers to be on their guard in the coming weeks as the holiday season brings increased risk of falling victim to rental scams. Bank of Ireland warned customers to be wary when making holiday bookings to avoid falling victim to accommodation scams, where fraudsters trick people into paying for property that doesn't exist or is not available to rent. The bank said it had seen an increase in the number of cases, and also a rise in the amount of money that customers were losing to the scams. 'Fraudsters don't take time off and are always looking at ways to take your money,' said Nicola Sadlier, head of fraud, Bank of Ireland. 'Holiday scams can be devastating and costly, as you may arrive at your destination before becoming aware that it's a scam, so it's really important that consumers stay vigilant and stop, think, check before making any accommodation payments.' READ MORE Rental scams happen throughout the year, but are usually targeted at people booking holiday rentals abroad or in Ireland, students looking for college properties and people looking to rent living accommodation. [ Scam listing on turns holiday dream into a nightmare Opens in new window ] The bank has issued advice to customers, including double-checking websites are genuine, not being pressured into making payments, don't click on links from social media, emails or texts, and going to official booking websites directly. Holidaymakers should also be wary of moving off official sites in return for a discount, as this can often be the hallmark of a scam. Customers should also be wary about deals that seem too good to be true, and ensure that any payments are made on a secure, trusted platform. [ 'Email had my booking reference plus details of guests': customers targeted by scam Opens in new window ]
ABC News
18-05-2025
- ABC News
Queenslanders lose more in rental scams, some victims left homeless
As the weight of the housing crisis bears down on many Australians, some are not only losing the roof over their heads but also their money to brazen rental scams. Simon Alexander, 39, moved to the Sunshine Coast from the regional town of Goomeri, west of Gympie, to pursue a nursing career. He said his search for a home became desperate after he was forced out of his first rental property after only a fortnight because his housemate was found to be subletting without approval. Eventually, he found another rental through Facebook, and the advertiser took him through a video walk-through of the property. "I shouldn't have trusted anyone, but I was a bit desperate," Mr Alexander said. He supplied personal information to the scammer along with a $1,200 bond payment and $600 for rent in advance, only to find it already occupied when it was time to move in. "They owned the place, and they knew nothing of this person [the scammer]. "[We were] around the same age … and they had quite a number of friends, it was very believable". In a vulnerable position, Mr Alexander experienced the same situation again. Another listing he was looking at was occupied by someone who had no idea a scammer was trying to rent out their home online. Mr Alexander became homeless as a result of the repeated scams after losing more than $4,000. Even the cost of attending his nursing course became too much, and he was forced to quit. He said seeking help while sleeping rough had been difficult, and access to community services and housing was almost non-existent. "All these community services are stretched thin … [The Department of Housing] actually gave me a gift voucher to go buy a tent," he said. "I want people to learn from my mistakes. I want people to become more educated around how to avoid these things." Mr Alexander recently found a temporary place to stay and has gained work as a cleaner with plans to move into more secure housing soon. Data provided to the ABC by IDCARE, a non-for-profit national identity and cyber support service, exposed a notable increase in the amount of money Australians were losing to rental scams. Total monthly losses to rental scams nearly tripled in Queensland in the past year, with the average loss per scam case doubling in the five months from November to March from $2,280 to $4,683. Queenslanders are losing more to these kinds of scams than anywhere else in the country, with average personal losses about 60 per cent higher than the national average. IDCARE spokeswoman Kathy Sundstrom said more than 60 per cent of rental scams were on social media, with 80 per cent coming from organised crime groups overseas. "It's becoming harder for them [the scammers] to create new accounts so what they prefer to do is to compromise existing ones that take over your account and contact people pretending to be you. "It's far more effective because you have a history … you have a reputation, you have friends, you're so much more believable than just creating a new account." Sunshine Coast grandmother and former Australian Taxation Office (ATO) debt collector Paula Ford turned to local Facebook groups because the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) was ending. "I had to change jobs because this is an NRAS house," she said. "And the rent was doubling so I needed to get a job where I could afford to pay the rent but as it turned out it didn't work out given my mental illness." But as she inquired about two properties listed in the groups, she was not expecting to be asked to make up-front payments to meet the advertiser. She said she was grateful for her time at the ATO, which prepared her for dealing with scammers. "She [the scammer] wouldn't meet with me … unless I gave her a $100 Apple gift card," Ms Ford said. "Working at the ATO [they taught us] that's one of the scams that they use on people to pay their ATO debt." Queensland's Rental Tenancy Authority (RTA) recommends that those who have experienced a rental scam report the matter to Office of Fair Trading, or police if it involved fraud. The RTA also urged people to look up the history of the property and the person who listed it before sending any money as more than 90 per cent of rentals in the state were managed by real estate or property agents. A copy of the tenancy agreement must be given to tenants before any money is paid, and a property owner or manager cannot charge a future tenant an "application fee". Ms Sundstrom from IDCARE said people should report suspicious profiles to Facebook and set up two-factor authentication to protect their own social media profiles. "It's really important that people think about how they go about looking for a rental property and you have to be so careful on those [Facebook] community groups," she said. Facebook and its parent company Meta were contacted for comment.
