To be paranoid about house ad?

[grannysmiff]

Saw a great house to let advertised on Gumtree-style website by an agency. Same ad up on agency website and in their shop window.

Just saw that an individual (username Crusader) has just put up an ad for a house to rent - the title is slightly different and there are only 3 pics but I recognise the garden and the (long) description is the same. Only difference is this Crusader has added at the bottom: no agencies please.

So I just emailed the person a very polite introductory paragraph and ending with a request to see the house and received simply one line back in response:
"Are you in full time work???????"

I'm just a bit baffled. Was planning on calling the agency tomorrow but - if this is the landlord, why is the house still on the agency books? Should I reply to Crusader's email?

All feels a bit weird.

[grannysmiff]

Also the way that one line from the LL was written feels weird. I would have expected, I dunno, a few more formalities or at least a congenial opening line? And perhaps less question marks?

[grannysmiff]

Yeah thats what I'm wondering, they just sent me a second email saying "hello are you in fulltime work???*"

[grannysmiff]

I cant really see what kind of scam it could be though

[Winterfellismyhome]

Seems like they may just want someone who can pay the rent without housing benefit tbh

[TheHungryDonkey]

I’ve seen this when looking for rental properties. They sign you up and take a deposit for a fake tenancy. Gumtree is rife with tenancy type fraud be careful.

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

They'll take a deposit and run away. Tell the agency. A genuine LL will be paying the agency to do all the advertising etc so why would he/she have it up themselves on Gumtree?

[SilverSpot]

I cant really see what kind of scam it could be though

Common scam is to take a holding deposit on properties they don't actually own/manage.

Even if it's not a scam, do you really want to rent from someone so shit at communication they send a one line message like that?

[Maelstrop]

Check out the agency and if it's genuine, deal with them only.

[grannysmiff]

Good points guys thanks.

I would have thought if you were going to become a professional scammer you'd at least work on your patter.

[Tedster77]

There was a case in my town where they took deposits from about 60 families for one house . I'd be very careful.

[lalalalyra]

Be very careful.

I let out my grandparents old flat and the flat downstairs is let out on airbnb. Someone rented it for a month and put it on gumtree. They took deposits from a shedload of people who thought they'd found a new place to live.

[AntiHop]

Be careful. A friend of mine saw a place on gumtree. They wanted her to make a transfer through a well known money transfer company to herself, to prove that she had enough money to pay for the rent. They wouldn't accept a bank statement or payslips, which was obviously ridiculous.

It turns out that the scammer would make fake id in the person's name, and as soon as the person transferred the money "to themselves" the scammer was waiting in another branch with the fake ID, waiting to take it.

[MrsPicklesonSmythe]

Not sure if I've misread but I think I've done a similar thing (although hopefully more professionally!) I put with an agent who did bugger all for weeks and we're losing me money so I put it on openrent myself to get more interest they provide a secure service where they secure the deposit in a scheme and take 1st months rent etc to ensure nothing dodgy goes on. If it's through that I'd be ok but don't send anything to this person direct.