Tenant is asked to pay a security deposit before inspecting a three-bedroom home, only to discover it’s never been on the market – as scammers take advantage of Sydney’s rental crisis
- Cihan Kenar confronted rent scammer
- Scam artist advertised house that was not on the market
- They asked for bail from Mr. Kenar
A potential renter has revealed how a scam artist tried to get him to pay a security deposit on an off-the-market rental.
Cihan Kenar, from Rosebery, in inner-south Sydney, has warned other renters after he almost fell for a scam when he inquired about a suspiciously cheap house for rent in his neighbourhood.
The three-bedroom detached property caught Mr. Kenar’s attention when it was advertised for $400 a week – significantly lower than the current market.
But the price and reaction of the supposed landlord when Mr. Kenar asked to come and see the property immediately set off alarm bells.
Cihan Kenar, from Rosebery, in inner-south Sydney, has warned other renters after he almost fell for a scam when he inquired about a suspiciously cheap house for rent in his neighbourhood. A scammer had asked him to pay a deposit for a house that was not on the list
The stranger responded to Mr. Kenar saying they were inundated with messages from other potential tenants wanting to inspect the house.
“If you can drop your details and put down a refundable deposit to secure it now, then as soon as we meet tomorrow and the house doesn’t fit your money, you’ll be refunded immediately,” the “landlord” said.
Mr. Kenar then found out about the scam and replied, “Are you fucking serious?”
“You lure me with a cheap rent and ask for a deposit?” he continued – but was blocked soon after.
Mr Kenar posted the interaction to a Facebook group, where others revealed they too had similar interactions with the scammer.
One of them said they even drove to the house and talked to the owner, who revealed it had never been put up for rent and she had no plans to put it on the market.
“(The scammer) actually asked me to act fast so as not to lose such a big deal,” Mr. Kenar told Seven News.
“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
The ACCC claims more renters are falling for the scam as rents have risen historically (pictured is a rental property in Sydney)
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), more and more potential tenants are falling for scams.
Scams are on the rise alongside recent historic increases in rents.
Australians lost about $544,846 due to rental scams last year, up from 2021.
