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Scams and fraud

Letting Scam aimed at Students.

(12 Posts)
Smurf44 Fri 22-Jul-22 14:33:24

My GD has a rented flat in Shetland but is desperate to move to Paisley/Glasgow area to start an HND course in Glasgow in late August. She has tried every estate agent in the area BUT they won’t help as she can’t view any flat/house in person as she is 300 miles away across the North Sea! Now they are refusing to accept me as a guarantor as I’m retired and don’t have a regular job, despite having savings! Yesterday she was nearly scammed by a man who offered her a house for an all inclusive rent, but it wasn’t really his property. Apparently this Scam is rife in Scotland and maybe elsewhere too! So if you have a student in your family warn them of this scam.

The local council also refuse to help as she already has a property and they don’t care it’s 300 miles away.

Meanwhile, if you have a suitable 2 bed property in the Glasgow area please let me know.

This is the scam warning from the BBC.

www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2021/11/scam-using-facebook-marketplace-sees-tenants-lose-thousands

Elegran Fri 22-Jul-22 14:51:34

There are other hazards too for students seeking accommodation. One I heard of was a girl who answered an ad pinned to a college notice board , of a room to let in a "shared flat". When she had viewed it and asked the price, the owner (adult man, not a student) replied that it was free if she would drop her knickers.

Another first-hand story was from a girl who went to see a room in a tenement flat. She took a friend (male) with her as insurance and was glad that she had. After pressing the doorbell and being admitted by remote control, they climbed the stairs. Someone was visible on an upstairs landing, but on hearing the male voice he vanished and they heard a door being closed. They reached the door, rang the bell and it was opened. The man who answered seemed flustered but showed her a room (obviously a child's room with short bed and clothes and toys around, and curtains drawn closed) His explanation was that it was daughter's room but she was only there weekends. She didn't like the vibes at all, so they left. On the way out they noticed that on the table near the door lay a gun. On her own she would have been threatened with the gun if she wouldn't co-operate.

welbeck Fri 22-Jul-22 14:55:07

this a well known scam that's been going on from years, in letting flats and rooms. beware.
can't the college help her with a list.
why does she need 2 bedrooms.

welbeck Fri 22-Jul-22 14:58:09

did she report the presence of the gun to the police.
also the demanding sexual services in lieu of rent is a crime and should be reported.

welbeck Fri 22-Jul-22 14:59:55

www.thesun.co.uk/news/18522107/sex-for-rent-landlord-jailed-jeremy-kyle/

Elegran Fri 22-Jul-22 15:33:51

It was thirty years ago, Welbeck, when the police were inclined to think that people's sex lives were none of their business. The landlord in my first story was reported to the college with the noticeboard and was banned from it. I don't know what happened in the second (gun) story.

Smurf44 Sat 23-Jul-22 11:10:48

welbeck My GD needs 2 bedrooms as a friend from Shetland is happy to share and they can split bills etc.

The college has no accommodation ( I think many of their students live locally) and my GD needs an unfurnished place as she already has her own furniture in her current flat, but is happy to leave/sell her white goods if the new place has a fitted kitchen.

Elegran your stories make me worry even more about the hazards of being a teenage student! ?

Mine Sat 23-Jul-22 11:23:14

Hi SMURF44....The Westend of Glasgow is where loads of students rent rooms and flat share as it's near the university and is a lovely area but I imagine it will be costly...What college is your GD hoping to get into to do her HND...

WayneJohnson Sat 27-Aug-22 11:53:56

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Jaxjacky Sat 27-Aug-22 11:59:38

Reported

twoxii Mon 06-Nov-23 08:50:32

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Georgesgran Mon 06-Nov-23 09:04:33

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