Trusted Property Managers in Livingston

Having recently noticed that some of our flat marketing particulars had been lifted from our site to be used in scams on Gumtree, we want to make potential tenants aware of the dangers and how to avoid them. Scammers tend to uplift photographs and descriptions from the official property portals or a letting agent’s own website. They then access the public Landlord Registration database to obtain the name of the owner for the property. Using that information they create a user profile in the name of the actual landlord and then post their advert on Gumtree, Facebook marketplace or other ‘free-listing’ websites. If a tenant responds to one of these adverts, the scammer will usually insist on a deposit being paid to secure a viewing or secure the property without a viewing. Once the funds have been transferred, the applicant will never hear from the poster again. The advertiser’s account will usually close very quickly, once they have successfully obtained a number of deposits. Find out how to spot a property scammer and learn how to avoid rental scams.