Beware of ‘Shrewsbury’ property scammers

Just remember the saying: If it is too good to be true, then it probably is just that!

The old adage came in handy for a Welshpool couple who were being sucked into an online property rental scam but pulled out before being ripped off.

The couple, who asked not to be named, were house hunting online in the Shrewsbury area using high profile national web sites when they were contacted about an ideal property to rent on its outskirts.

The father of the family takes up the story:

“After we emailed them to request details of the property, we were sent images of the property's exterior along with photographs of the inside (as shown here). It was fully furnished and included widescreen televisions and personal computers available for our own use.

“They even sent us a picture of their happy family!”

But he soon realised that the dream home could be shielding a nightmare.

“They said that the reason the property was available was because they had moved to Nigeria and wouldn’t be returning for some time,” he said, suspecting immediately something wasn’t quite right.

“They requested a prompt payment from us to their new Nigerian bank account in return for the keys to be sent upon receipt. They also asked for a reduced deposit, trying to prompt us to comply with a quick tenancy. We received an email asking for immediate payment to be sent via money gram.”

Nigeria has been connected to a number of scams but this appears to be a new direction they are taking.

Local property experts McCartneys warn house hunters to always be on their guard.

“I am glad to see that the diligence of the people involved paid off and they realised that they could be subject of a scam before it was too late,” said partner, Tom Carter. “It is always advisable that potential tenants find a property through a
reputable agent to prevent things like this from happening. They must also ensure that the correct safety certificates such as gas and electric are in place and therefore be rest assured that the property will be a safe place to live in.”