While the majority of individuals aim to assist you in finding your next home, it's essential to remain cautious as there may be a small number of fraudsters attempting to deceive you into divulging personal information or parting with money.
Exercise caution when requested to make payments before viewing a room/property. We strongly advise seeing the room/property in person before making any payments. If visiting isn't feasible, consider asking a trusted individual to inspect the room/property on your behalf.
All lettings agents are mandated to be part of a Client Money Protection (CMP) scheme, which safeguards tenants' deposits. Prior to making any payments, we suggest verifying with the agent which scheme they are affiliated with. You can search for the agent on the scheme's website under the 'member search' section.
Avoid succumbing to pressure tactics to transfer money hastily. Fraudsters may create a sense of urgency by insisting that transferring money is necessary to book a viewing or secure a property. Genuine agents and landlords understand that finding the right property takes time and would not rush you into transferring money.
Exercise caution if asked to transfer money via uncommon services such as Bitcoin, as these transfers are virtual, not bank-controlled, and challenging to trace.
We advise against making cash payments for properties, as they are also difficult to trace.