A young nurse has been fleeced after handing over thousands of dollars for what she thought was the rental home of her dreams.
Renee Ngo was desperate to find a home when she moved to Brisbane last year and started trawling social media to find something that fitted her budget.
She thought her prayers were answered when someone reached out on Facebook, offering a fully furnished apartment for just $300 a week.
But it turned out the offer was too good to be true.
Renee Ngo was desperate to find a rental when she moved to Brisbane, in south-east Queensland, last year
Ms Ngo had unwittingly fallen victim to a heartless scammer preying upon struggling renters trying to find a place to live amid Australia’s national housing crisis.
‘She said she was going to mail the keys out as soon as possible, so she asked me to pay the bond and rent first,’ Ms Ngo told 9NEWS.
Luckily, the $1,500 she paid the scammer was able to be recovered by her bank.
However, experts have warned these scams are becoming more common with rental vacancies remaining near record lows of just 1 per cent.
It is understood that scammers are taking legitimate listings from real websites and faking adverts to take advantage on unsuspecting tenants.
It is understood that scammers are taking legitimate listings from real websites and faking adverts to take advantage on unsuspecting tenants
Real estate agents have reported that tenants have even been left homeless after finding out on ‘move-in day’ that the lease agreement they signed was illegitimate.
To avoid being tricked, renters are being told to ask for video from inside the house, seek watermarks on images and search for duplicate listings online.
They are also being warned to avoid paying the bond, deposit fees or rent in advance, like Ms Ngo.
‘I need that money at the time, and I was so stressed,’ she said.
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