Spike in 'sophisticated' social media scams targeting would-be renters in WA
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When Lorenzo Pietribiasi moved to Broome from Italy, he bounced around living with friends and in staff accommodation before braving the rental market.
He spent over a month trying to find a rental but said part of the problem was scammers on social media.
"It's frustrating … you have to work or do other stuff, and you're trying to sort out where you're going to sleep for the next month," Mr Pietribiasi said.
"And then all you see is fake and pretend."
Mr Pietribiasi said he was contacted by four separate scammers while trying to secure a property in the northern WA town.
"I did the normal procedure like everyone does — I went on Facebook and in all the groups started posting that I'm looking for a place," he said.
"But no real people were contacting me, it was mainly scams."
Rental price hike
Mr Pietribiasi said he would receive direct messages on Facebook asking him to disclose personal information before letting him view the property.
When he pushed back, they either went silent or gave "more excuses".
In other instances, "scam links" were left in comments under his posts.
The ABC spoke with the facilitator of a Broome rental page, who said they used certain technology to automatically block scam posts and comments on prospective tenants' profiles.
On some rental group pages, there are upwards of 10 third-party link comments underneath posts.
The Real Estate Institute of WA's latest quarterly report showed average weekly rents in Broome had reached $1,050 per week, representing a 5 per cent increase in three months.
Worse in the regions
Rental scamming is "exacerbated" in regional areas like Broome, according to lawyer Alice Pennycott from Making Renting Fair WA.
"People wouldn't be as susceptible or as desperate if they had more choice or knew they would be able to find a property," she said.
Ms Pennycott said people locked out of finding a rental through "traditional" means like a realtor often turned to online platforms, which were unregulated and "more rogue".
"New ways of scamming people have emerged … they [scams] can look quite sophisticated now. It can be hard to tell that it isn't legit," she said.
"It's alarming seeing people unable to access properties through … more traditional means."
Ms Pennycott said prospective renters were made vulnerable by a "power imbalance between tenants and landlords".
"People are often asked to give a lot of personal and confidential information to apply for a rental property, like bank statements and details of employment," she said.
"That can potentially, in the wrong hands, make them susceptible to identity theft and fraud."
Make Renting Fair WA has called for tighter regulation around tenancy applications so renters are protected regardless of what the market is doing.
Kimberley-based Consumer Protection senior officer Ange Inns said the agency was trying to arm people with knowledge to help them avoid scams.
She said there had been an increase in rental scams, and the current market made it especially hard for people under financial pressure, who urgently needed a home.
"Scammers target people who are likely to make these decisions out of desperation. They make the scams look too good to be true," Ms Inns said.
"They're posting fake photos and making the property look great, and the rental price is often too good to be true — so these are red flags."
Prospective tenants should view the property before providing identification documents or transferring bank funds, according to Ms Inns.
Consumer Protection encouraged anyone who may have encountered a rental scam to report it immediately to help the state agency track fraudulent activity and prevent others from falling victim.
Tips for avoiding rental scams
He spent over a month trying to find a rental but said part of the problem was scammers on social media.
"It's frustrating … you have to work or do other stuff, and you're trying to sort out where you're going to sleep for the next month," Mr Pietribiasi said.
"And then all you see is fake and pretend."
Mr Pietribiasi said he was contacted by four separate scammers while trying to secure a property in the northern WA town.
Rental advocacy groups say it is concerning people cannot find rentals through traditional means. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)
"I did the normal procedure like everyone does — I went on Facebook and in all the groups started posting that I'm looking for a place," he said.
"But no real people were contacting me, it was mainly scams."
Rental price hike
Mr Pietribiasi said he would receive direct messages on Facebook asking him to disclose personal information before letting him view the property.
When he pushed back, they either went silent or gave "more excuses".
In other instances, "scam links" were left in comments under his posts.
Rental scam links are regularly shared under posts on social media. (Supplied: Facebook)
The ABC spoke with the facilitator of a Broome rental page, who said they used certain technology to automatically block scam posts and comments on prospective tenants' profiles.
On some rental group pages, there are upwards of 10 third-party link comments underneath posts.
The Real Estate Institute of WA's latest quarterly report showed average weekly rents in Broome had reached $1,050 per week, representing a 5 per cent increase in three months.
Worse in the regions
Rental scamming is "exacerbated" in regional areas like Broome, according to lawyer Alice Pennycott from Making Renting Fair WA.
"People wouldn't be as susceptible or as desperate if they had more choice or knew they would be able to find a property," she said.
Ms Pennycott said people locked out of finding a rental through "traditional" means like a realtor often turned to online platforms, which were unregulated and "more rogue".
Alice Pennycott from Make Renting Fair WA, a coalition of housing bodies and renters' rights advocates. (Supplied: Circle Green Community Legal)
"New ways of scamming people have emerged … they [scams] can look quite sophisticated now. It can be hard to tell that it isn't legit," she said.
"It's alarming seeing people unable to access properties through … more traditional means."
Ms Pennycott said prospective renters were made vulnerable by a "power imbalance between tenants and landlords".
Rental prices in Broome have increased by 11.1 per cent in three months. (ABC Kimberley: Vanessa Mills)
"People are often asked to give a lot of personal and confidential information to apply for a rental property, like bank statements and details of employment," she said.
"That can potentially, in the wrong hands, make them susceptible to identity theft and fraud."
Make Renting Fair WA has called for tighter regulation around tenancy applications so renters are protected regardless of what the market is doing.
Ange Inns says Consumer Protection has noticed an increase in rental scams. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)
Kimberley-based Consumer Protection senior officer Ange Inns said the agency was trying to arm people with knowledge to help them avoid scams.
She said there had been an increase in rental scams, and the current market made it especially hard for people under financial pressure, who urgently needed a home.
"They're posting fake photos and making the property look great, and the rental price is often too good to be true — so these are red flags."
Prospective tenants should view the property before providing identification documents or transferring bank funds, according to Ms Inns.
Consumer Protection encouraged anyone who may have encountered a rental scam to report it immediately to help the state agency track fraudulent activity and prevent others from falling victim.
Tips for avoiding rental scams
- Be wary of photos/rents that are too good to be true, only being able to inspect the outside of a home, or being asked to keep the deal private.
- Reverse image search the listing's photos to see if they have been used elsewhere.
- Look up the property on real estate websites and contact previous listing agents for more information.
- Only deal with landlords who can meet face-to-face, or go through a licensed real estate agent.
- Be cautious if asked to pay funds via direct bank transfer.
- Only pay funds in exchange for keys and a signed rental agreement.
