Scammers find ingenious use for well-known property sites

Most Australians will turn to trusted real estate websites such as Domain or those of known real estate agents when searching for rental properties.

But not everything on real estate websites is secure, according to an article published by The Courier-Mail.

Martin Haak came across an Albert Park property listed for rental for $700 – a comfortable middle ground for the Victorian suburb, where rental prices currently range from $380 to $2,500 per week. 

However, there were no agent details included, and there was no specific address for the property. As the ad requested, Haak sent an enquiry using his Domain account.

The supposed landlord responded, providing photographs and a description of the property, and setting out a step-by-step process for the lease agreement, which involved depositing money for the lease using the TripAdvisor website.

Haak admits he almost believed the email, but noticed something strange about the TripAdvisor link provided: while TripAdvisor was included in the web address supplied, it did not link to the official TripAdvisor site. The request for a lease deposit just to make a viewing was unusual, and demanding payment via a clearly fake site was the final giveaway – it was a scam on potential renters.

A Domain spokesperson assured users that its platform was still safe, saying the scam was a result of a breach in one agency’s online security and it has been addressed.

Jo Worrell, the agent who manages the real property used for the scam, meanwhile, advised renters to “always go through a reputable agent” for their real estate dealings. 

Have you ever been caught in a real estate scam? Would you have fallen for this one?