A WARNING is being issued to people on the lookout for rented accommodation in Limerick city about a sophisticated scam in the business of private lettings. The Limerick Post has learned that a man purporting to live in the Pallasgreen area was renting an apartment in the Steamboat Quay complex in the city and advertising its availability in the local press and online with daft.ie.
Two potential clients arrived at the apartment after making contact for an arranged viewing with the man who they believed was the landlord. After viewing the property, they entered into what they believed was a legitimate lease and handed over a deposit of €950 cash as a downpayment.
However, when the pair went to move into the apartment a few days later, they were unable to gain access and found that the man they paid the deposit to was not the owner of the property. It is believed that this is not the first time the scam was operated in connection with the apartment.
Stephen Faughnan, chairman of the Irish Property Owners Association said that the “irresponsible and criminal behaviour of one conman was running the risk of sending its thousands of property owners into disrepute”.
“We have seen a number of these type scams operating throughout the country and they are particularly worrying types of fraud. Potential tenants are even given a key.
“It is alarming that people have been conned by a person purporting to represent our sector. Thankfully this is a rare occurrence but to try to prevent it happening again, we are appealing to tenants to make sure their landlord is a member of the Irish Property Owners Association or a licensed and bonded letting agent.
IPOA information officer Margaret McCormick suggests that prospective tenants “ask potential landlords for their current IPOA membership card, a utility bill or other form of confirmation of ownership.
Gardai at Henry Street are investigating the scam and the advertisements have since been removed.
