An Edinburgh University student has been scammed of £1,000 after a 'fake' landlord.
Liza Leblanc, 22, is an international student at Edinburgh University and is warning others to be aware of scammers as the city is in the grips of a housing crisis.
Speaking exclusively to Edinburgh Live, Liza explained how she was searching for somewhere to live before she started her studies in social work.
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After going through private estate agents, she soon realised how competitive and difficult the renting market is and took to Facebook groups dedicated for flat sharing and house hunting.
She posted on the pages that she was looking for a flat for her and her friends and was directed to email a woman who was looking for tenants to fill a property. Liza, at the time, was still living at her home in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Emails were sent back at two between Liza and the landlord. Once agreeing on a flat, that she viewed via video and images, Liza and her prospective flatmate sent a deposit and a month's rent - a total of £2,100.
When they arrived at the flat to see it, just days before they were due to move in, the landlord was nowhere to be seen and Liza had been blocked and had no way of contacting her.
Liza explained: "I posted an ad on Facebook, on the Edinburgh Flatshare groups. Someone reached out to me and she said, email this landlord - so I did, and she replied, 'Are you interested in an entire one bedroom flat or one room, I've only got those available. And I said, I was originally looking for a two or three bedroom.
"Then she switched it up and said she did have a two bedroom apartment. So that's a little fishy, now that I'm looking at it. I just thought maybe she had more at the time."
"She was sending me pictures the flat and the location. I was even on Google Maps double checking the location and all that."
Being in Canada, Liza asked if she could send her friend who already lived in Edinburgh to view the flat. The landlord replied - no as there were too many applicants but sent her the contract to sign.
In an email shared with Edinburgh Live, the landlord urged Liza to sign the contract, telling her it must be done within 24 hours and to pay due to the high demand for accomodation. Liza and her flatmate sent £2,100 between them to the landlord's bank account, which they were told was going to be held with Safe Deposit Scotland.
The social work student admitted she was starting to have doubts and was recognising 'red flags', but with her university course starting and knowing full well how difficult it is to secure a rented flat in Edinburgh, she went along with it because she didn't want to end up in Edinburgh homeless.
She said: "I think honestly, I was just so desperate to have a spot. And so scared I would be on the streets that I was willing to risk it, which obviously didn't turn out well."
However, while Liza received a proof of payment notice, she never got confirmation from Safe Deposit Scotland. She explained how the landlord sent over images of her proof of identity and certificate of ownership, but when Edinburgh Live checked the Scottish Landlord register of the property in question, no landlord is registered to address.
Liza went on to add that the landlord then 'ghosted' her for a week after the deposit and month's rent was sent and then got back in touch demanding more money, claiming it was a fee for the National Association of Landlords for Scotland - Administration fees are illegal in Scotland.
The student refused to pay this, now believing they had been well and truly scammed, she openly questioned her authenticity and was met with replies clearly showing the landlord was annoyed.
She agreed to view the flat a couple of days before the agreed move-in date, and the landlord said she would then expect them to pay the extra fee.
"By this point I knew it was fake. I was showing my friend the texts and he said we had been 100 per cent scammed. I was already getting in touch with a previous landlord I had spoken to but we agreed to see the first flat at 1pm, and then she changed it to 6pm."
She continued: "So we showed up at the Easter Road apartment. And first of all, it wasn't where she said it would be. And it wasn't even in the right spot, she said it was next to a pharmacy and it wasn't. There was also someone still living in it."
"We waited and the landlord didn't show up, when I checked Whatsapp, I had been blocked on everything."
Luckly, Liza was staying in an AirBnB and then her parents came over and she stayed with them in a hotel just outside the city. Liza was then able to secure another flat, with an official landlord, but she has been able unable to get her money back.
She admits that she thinks she was taken advantage of for being a student outside of Scotland but is urging others to stay alert as she doesn't want anyone else to find themselves in the same situation.
"Honestly, I felt like it was just such a pain. The entire process was a pain. Up until that point, I did have a little bit of suspicion. So I honestly just felt like a little relieved that it was done with it. And I knew it was fake.
"Obviously I felt terrible that I lost the money. But mostly I just felt I felt really bad for anyone that was going to come here who doesn't have have the resources I had to deal with this situation. I had enough money to get an Airbnb until I found another flat. But I just didn't want it to happen to anyone else."
Colin Mathieson is spokesperson for Advice Direct Scotland which provides advice on scams through consumeradvice.scot and on housing issues at advice.scot. He said: “Most owners and landlords who rent out property in Scotland are required to register with their local authority.
“Landlord registration is a system that helps councils monitor private landlords and ensure that they are suitable people to let out property. There are some exceptions, including those renting property in which the landlords themselves live most of or all the time with their tenants.
“It’s a good idea to check out the registered landlord of the property. People should not part with any money or enter into an agreement before they have viewed the property and met the person.
“Sending money to people after limited interaction through social media channels, forums, or other online means can be risky.
“In situations where a person has been scammed and has had money taken by fraudulent means, they should reach out to their bank in the first instance to see if they can stop or reverse any payments or transfers made. They should also contact the police, as this is a criminal act.
“Our team at advice.scot can provide advice and information on a range of housing-related matters, including tenancy types and your rights when it comes to these agreements."
Advice Direct Scotland advisers are available on 0808 800 9060 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm). Additionally, Scottish consumers can report suspected scams and suspicious activity using the Quick Reporting Tool at www.scamwatch.scot, or by visiting www.consumeradvice.scot. Specialist consumer advisers are available on 0808 164 6000 (Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm).
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