basicweb Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 This was in the ABC news today and I'm trying to share it in as many places as I can, we're hearing too many of these stories - please always rent through a reputable company/agency: House-hunters are being warned to be careful not to hand over money for bonds and advance rent for properties that may not even exist. Consumer advocates say fraud within the rentals sector is rising, particularly in Western Australia, where the property market is tight. Some properties advertised online are not actually for rent and sometimes they do not exist at all - which unlucky bidders find out only after they have forked over money for bond and advance rent. People moving to WA often want to have somewhere to go as soon as they arrive and do not have the ability to check out a property in person. The director of retail and services at WA's Consumer Protection, David Hillyard, says scammers have recognised the opportunity to put false advertisements on the internet. "The scammers will actually go around the legitimate real estate agents' websites, properties that are either for sale or for rent," he said. "They'll lift the details of those properties, including the photographs, and they'll drop them into what we call the classifieds ... on Gumtree or eBay, those sorts of websites. "It's usually going to be targeted at just below market rent. You make contact, and immediately they start to I guess spin a yarn to you that's to try and get you hooked on this property and to start sending money." Mr Hillyard says rogue traders often target university students as well as people from overseas and interstate. "They are our primary victims, especially at this time of the year, the change of school years," he said. "The property is occupied, it was never for rent, and it's in fact been a complete bogus approach from the people who've been running the scam. "They'll be asking you to do money transfers for the rent and for the bond direct to them and that's usually by way of a wire transfer, a Western Union-type transfer. "We know that once funds are sent in that way, they're picked up at their source destination and you cannot recover them once they've gone through." The department says people should work through housing offices at universities, or go through legitimate real estate agency websites. Mark De Los Rayos was a victim of fraud in October. He was in Seattle when he used the net to find somewhere to live in Perth. "I needed accommodation right away when I landed, so I went online and this one seemed the most legit at the time," he said. " just went for it, with the payment, signed the lease and everything. "They needed the first month's rent and a bond as well, so it was like $1,200 total I gave her." Consumer Protection says that in most cases, the funds are traced to Asian countries. Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pom on the move Posted December 31, 2012 Report Share Posted December 31, 2012 Good advice above. Here is a link to the Department of Commerce - http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/ConsumerProtection/content/property_renting/ This site gives you lots of detailed information on renting in WA. A must read for all of you before moving to Western Australia. Moving is a stressful time so don't cut corners when trying to sort out the big things. Reputable Companies are a must !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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