Protect yourself now! Aussies targeted by 'despicable' Facebook Real Estate Scam
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When it comes to real estate, things can get complicated fast. With rent prices often taking a huge chunk out of our wallets and social media sites like Facebook Marketplace allowing just about anyone to advertise, it's become even more important to be aware of real estate scams that have been making the rounds online.
A woman who came extremely close to falling victim to one of these scams shared her story.
The scam, which was posted in Facebook Marketplace, was advertising a Umina Beach property for rent. The woman reached out to the poster but pedalled back after an unusual and ‘forceful’ exchange.
The so-called scammer, who was posing as a woman named Ryke Moore, demanded that the woman ‘secure the property’ now before they give the listing to someone else. The woman agreed to ‘move quickly’ and lock in the property but wanted to see photos first.
She also asked for more details and found that the asking price was $400 a week with a $1,600 bond.
Screenshots of their conversation were posted by the woman. In them, the woman made multiple attempts to lock in a time and place to see the property, but the scammer kept demanding payment first.
One message read: ‘You’ll have to sign up your paperwork and make a payment for the bond to secure the property now.’
However, the woman did not budge and asked the scammer to meet up first to view the property.
After another attempt at viewing the property, the woman said she was blocked by the scammer. Then, she decided to view the place herself.
Once she arrived, she saw a parked car outside which indicated someone was home, and then knocked on the door.
‘I knocked on this lady’s house, and bless her she has been there for a very long time,’ she wrote. The lady told the woman that she had no intention of renting her property.
The exchange proved that the homeowner wasn’t aware that her home was listed for rent online. Moreover, the photos that were sent to the woman were inaccurate.
Many were angered by this, particularly because people nowadays are ‘desperate’ for suitable housing, according to some.
Dr Rob Nicholls, Associate Professor at the UNSW Business School, told reporters that Australia is currently experiencing a turbulent rental crisis – with many being forced out of capital cities. Since suitable and affordable housing has been increasingly difficult to come by, scams like this posed a ‘real problem’.
Scams of this nature often manipulate people into thinking that there’s a sense of urgency and that an immediate call to action must be made.
‘If the price looks too good to be true, it often is,’ Dr Rob explained.
Social media users suggested that the scammer’s online profile was fake, and Dr Rob agreed that there are a few ways people can tell.
‘If they have a picture that looks exceptionally well-shot, it’s probably been taken from the internet.’ He added that users with no face in their profile, or social media profiles with very limited information, are things to be suspicious of.
Dr Rob also suggested that people should always ‘rent through a real estate agent’ to be safe, and urged everyone to report scams to the ACCC.
Stay safe and vigilant, folks! You can contact the ACCC here.
A woman who came extremely close to falling victim to one of these scams shared her story.
The scam, which was posted in Facebook Marketplace, was advertising a Umina Beach property for rent. The woman reached out to the poster but pedalled back after an unusual and ‘forceful’ exchange.
The woman warned others of the real estate scam. Credit: Alex Staudinger/Pexels
The so-called scammer, who was posing as a woman named Ryke Moore, demanded that the woman ‘secure the property’ now before they give the listing to someone else. The woman agreed to ‘move quickly’ and lock in the property but wanted to see photos first.
She also asked for more details and found that the asking price was $400 a week with a $1,600 bond.
Screenshots of their conversation were posted by the woman. In them, the woman made multiple attempts to lock in a time and place to see the property, but the scammer kept demanding payment first.
One message read: ‘You’ll have to sign up your paperwork and make a payment for the bond to secure the property now.’
However, the woman did not budge and asked the scammer to meet up first to view the property.
Some of the screenshots were posted by the woman online. Credit: Facebook
Once she arrived, she saw a parked car outside which indicated someone was home, and then knocked on the door.
‘I knocked on this lady’s house, and bless her she has been there for a very long time,’ she wrote. The lady told the woman that she had no intention of renting her property.
The exchange proved that the homeowner wasn’t aware that her home was listed for rent online. Moreover, the photos that were sent to the woman were inaccurate.
Many were angered by this, particularly because people nowadays are ‘desperate’ for suitable housing, according to some.
Dr Rob Nicholls, Associate Professor at the UNSW Business School, told reporters that Australia is currently experiencing a turbulent rental crisis – with many being forced out of capital cities. Since suitable and affordable housing has been increasingly difficult to come by, scams like this posed a ‘real problem’.
Scams of this nature often manipulate people into thinking that there’s a sense of urgency and that an immediate call to action must be made.
‘If the price looks too good to be true, it often is,’ Dr Rob explained.
Social media users suggested that the scammer’s online profile was fake, and Dr Rob agreed that there are a few ways people can tell.
‘If they have a picture that looks exceptionally well-shot, it’s probably been taken from the internet.’ He added that users with no face in their profile, or social media profiles with very limited information, are things to be suspicious of.
Dr Rob also suggested that people should always ‘rent through a real estate agent’ to be safe, and urged everyone to report scams to the ACCC.
