To not pay rent until details confirmed

[Paymentconundrum]

More of a wwyd really.

Rent a property which is managed by an estate agents - so no contact details for landlord.

They sent an email through on I think the 20th saying that they are changing their name (a merger I assume) and next months payment should be made to - new bank details. No letter sent to our address etc.

We sent an email back saying we would need them to confirm this over the phone with someone we have spoken to before. Tried calling them myself as well.

An email was sent back by the person I usually contact (but with the new email address) saying sorry I will call you but have been off sick. Now they’re closed for Christmas and rent is due on the 1st.

While I’m pretty sure it’s legit - I’m nervous of paying £2500 into a new bank account when all we’ve really had are emails and none of them really verified.

So come the 1st do I
Pay it into the original bank as usual
Pay it to the new bank
Wait for them to open and confirm it (which I guess will be the 4th).

I'd wait to confirm it, £2,500 is too much money to risk losing in a scam.

Can you pop down to the office today and see if anyone is in? Appreciate that may be easier said than done at the moment.

Email them reiterating your concerns, and phone them on 4th.

I'd wait. They'll contact you when the rent isn't in there is lots of very sophisticated fraudsters you're right to feel concerned.

(I know you said they were closed but someone might be working anyway to catch up, despite the out of office - I know I was!)

I would definitely wait.

Wait, they can’t just expect ppl to pay large sums of money without proper confirmation.

I feel bad as it’s the landlord who will miss the money, and I am pretty sure it is legit - but it’s still a risk. I also can’t quite believe an estate agent would be so shoddy about the way they’ve done this (bearing in mind this type of fraud is rife in conveyancing).

Wait but email them and tell them why.

I would want a new contract with the new management company details before I handed over that much money!

We did email twice before Christmas saying we wouldn’t pay until we spoke to someone. I can do this again.

Wait it could be a scam

I’m a landlord and would prefer you waited for confirmation. I’d also be pretty annoyed that the agency hadn’t phoned you back. No landlord should be operating without a buffer so I really wouldn’t worry about being a few days late in these circumstances.

I'm a landlord, in this circumstance I'd be annoyed at the agent and not you and I definitely think you need to wait to speak to someone you know.

Absolutely don’t pay until it’s confirmed.

Out of interest, does your online banking check the name on the account matches the details? Mine does when I set up a new payment.

I would wait.

Do you have a number you could text your LL on to let them know?

yanbu
it's a common scam.

I’d pay the old account, if they have closed the account the money will transfer to the new one, if they haven’t, they will have the money. The. Contact them on the 4th to explain what you have done and why. You are right, the new bank details could have come from anyone, there should have been plenty of warning about a change of bank account

@EnjoyingTheSilence

I’d pay the old account, if they have closed the account the money will transfer to the new one, if they haven’t, they will have the money. The. Contact them on the 4th to explain what you have done and why. You are right, the new bank details could have come from anyone, there should have been plenty of warning about a change of bank account

This. And if the email turns out to be genuine they should be ashamed of their conduct.

Standard control in a business before changing a bank account (or setting up a new one) is to call and confirm (and not to the phone number on the change of details communication), so not unreasonable.

They probably have transition arrangements on the old account, so you could pay it into that in the absence of them confirming the new account. If there are no transition arrangements, it will bounce back to you. Email the agent and let them know what you have done given their inability to get back to you and confirm.

@TestingTestingWonTooFree it’s dh’s account we pay from and I’m not sure - but o would hazard a guess that even if genuine it won’t confirm yet as a new-ish bank account (as obviously it’s been set up in the new name).

For context I’ve driven past the EA and they definitely have changed all their signage etc, so I have no doubt that the merger thing is true - but then any scammer would also be aware as well.

I was going to say YABU but upon reading properly, YANBU to send all that money to an unconfirmed bank account. 4 days is only a few days late and if they miss the money in those few days, they can contact you and confirm and you can pay it.

I’d send another email, preferably with your previous emails below, stating exactly what you’ve said.

You should have your landlords details, it wouldn’t hurt to send them a copy of all your correspondence to the managing company, just giving them a “heads up”.

@AppleJane see this is the thing. I’m actually about 80% that it is genuine and they are just useless. So feel a bit like I’m being an arse.

Dh works for a lawyers and in the last month alone there have been a couple of instances of spoof emails being made which have resulted in huge frauds (think exchange deposits - so tens of thousands and above) going to fraudsters.

We are just a bit stuck as don’t want to be late with rent - but at the same time it’s such a risk when the only things we have ever received are emails (from a new email address at that).

If you have a postal address could you send a cheque?

I would definitely suspect fraud/phishing in this case.