Scammers posing as landlords target rental market with fake photographs of fully-furnished homes

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Scammers are taking advantage of hundreds of people who are struggling to find affordable housing in the tight rental market, with the consumer watchdog reporting an increase in real estate scams during the pandemic.

As demand in the rental market continues to soar, Ashmitha De Silva and Amarani Silva were thrilled to be offered what seemed like a perfect family home in Adelaide's northern suburbs.The advertised, 'fully furnished home' was actually a building siteThey paid a deposit and their first rental instalment up front, totalling $3,200.

While searching real estate forums on Facebook, Ms Silva came across posts from a man with the screen name of James A Bush who claimed to have properties available to rent. "They sent us all the agreements, licence and everything but we hadn't seen it physically because we were still in Melbourne," Mr De Silva said.

The couple, originally from Sri Lanka, said they wanted to warn others, including international students, about their experience. "We should be help[ing] each other but, instead of helping each other, we try to scam each other and rip them off and this shouldn't happen because if this keeps happening we cannot make this world any more better."This was the address the scammer used as available to rent as a fully furnished family home.

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research.....

Everyone jumping on the rent market misfortune wagon. Landlord scammers? Unbelievable. They try anything and people will fall for it.

Honestly ABC how many of these Jan 6 type moments are you not reporting on.

So what are the Pollies, Police and Legal Buffoons doing to out a stop to this. It is no excuse to say nothing can be done to prevent this emotional and financial theft

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