Tenants advised on 'bogus landlord' scams

18 2007
Renters in London have once again been warned of the importance of thoroughly researching a property and checking all the relevant paperwork prior to making any financial commitment.

In a scam similar to those carried out on the hit TV show Hustle, seven couples looking to rent in the popular suburb of Clapham were conned into handing over thousands of pounds to a fraudster claiming to be the landlord of a flat they were interested in.

The man even exchanged contracts with each of the couples on receipt of deposits of between £800 and £2,000 in cash.

One couple even went so far as to hire a van to move all their belongings into their new flat, only to find another couple trying to move in on the same day.

"The contract we signed is not worth the paper it's written on," one victim told the London Evening Standard.

"We have lost all this money just before Christmas and we have no home to go to."

Police have advised prospective tenants to either go through recognised letting agents or else to thoroughly check out private landlords before handing over any money or signing any contracts. ADNFCR-1219-ID-18398588-ADNFCR

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