Scammers targeting real estate

GIPPSLAND’s median rent in the first quarter of 2022 to March was $370 a week, a quarterly change of plus 2.8 per cent and annual change of 10.4 per cent.

And with vacancies remaining tight in June, it’s no surprise scammers have again hit the real estate market.

“We have seen quite a few posts even in our local communities for fake rental properties,” Jo Spencer, owner of Spencer’s Unlock Real Estate, stated.

“As an administrator, I’ve probably deleted three or four posts in the last couple of weeks (from the Nyora Community Notice Board).”

Jo is warning members of the public to be vigilant when applying for private rentals. 

“If something seems too good, or too easy - it might just be.

“Scammers are advertising properties through social media, and I believe also on the likes of Gumtree, though I haven’t seen it myself.”

The scams are simple.

“Anyone who is interested in the property they get to contact them directly; they’ve usually got an excuse as to why you cannot inspect the property.

“They'll approve you over messages or emails and have you sign a 'lease' and pay your first month's rent and bond prior to viewing – it all looks legit.”

Once the scammers receive the monies they disappear.

“People think they’ve secured a rental in what is a very hard market – they’re preying on very desperate people who perhaps don’t have anywhere else to go.

“Someone commented on (one of my Facebook posts) saying it happened to them as well. The poor people turned up to the house and knocked on the door. The person who owned the house didn’t know anything about it – the scammers had pulled their address.”

Keeping safe in a vulnerable market, Jo’s tips are straightforward.

“Going through a real estate agent is a much safer option.

“There are a lot of people that do manage their own rentals and that is totally fine but seeing the property in person is the first step.

“We are always happy to help, to cross check names or fact check for you if you think you're caught up in something like this.

“There is no protocol saying you need to pay money prior to seeing a property or even signing a lease, and you should definitely inspect the property to make sure it’s real, it exists and that it actually suits your needs.”

As administrator on the Nyora Community Notice Board Facebook group, Jo deletes the posts as she sees them or as they are reported, but in a community with hundreds of Facebook groups and pages, other social media platforms and websites, she doesn’t have control over anywhere else.

“It’s quite sad that people are preying knowing that there’s very desperate people out there.

“For some people having secured a home and then realising they haven’t, is worse than the actual financial loss.”

The team at Spencer Unlock Real Estate are contactable on 5655 1531 and are happy to cross-check private rentals or assist in finding a rental.