Rental scam in Toulouse: swindler takes €15,000

A scam that is wreaking havoc on classified ad sites: the rental scam. This scam targets people looking for accommodation. This time, the rental scam has claimed many victims in Toulouse.

A scam targeting students

As with every new academic year, many students are looking for new accommodation to start or continue their higher education. Every year, these young people are the target of numerous scammers who take advantage of their "naivety" to extract large sums of money from them.

How it works

This swindler caught his victims on the famous classified ads site Leboncoin. This site is very popular with young students. The scammer placed a rental ad for a well-located flat in the Patte-d'Oie district of Toulouse.

When a person interested in the rental property contacted the fraudster, the latter would automatically arrange an appointment to visit the flat. The visit took place and the deal was concluded. Unsurprisingly, the victim, who was very interested in the property, signed the fake rental contract without further ado and automatically paid the deposit to secure the flat for herself. Until then, it was impossible to suspect any kind of scam.

The scam takes shape

The scam began after the fake rental agreement had been signed. A few days later, the scammer contacted his future tenant to tell him that, due to an internal problem, the property was no longer available on the date agreed earlier. The victim was immediately less interested in the new availability of the flat, and the landlord, posing as a very honest person, automatically offered to refund the deposit paid at the time of the visit. Of course, this was not the case, as the sum had already been cashed by the scammer. And so a series of scams took place, with the same scenario each time.

Justice takes care of it

Thanks to two victims who had lodged complaints, the investigators were able to trace 15 additional victims. The sums extorted from each victim ranged from €700 to €1,400, cashed by cheque or transfer between individuals. In total, the swindler conned 17 people out of €15,000.

The man at the heart of the scams was not difficult to find, as he was incarcerated in a prison in connection with a completely different case. Without insisting too much, he acknowledged his involvement and his role in the case, and justified his actions by claiming that he was having financial difficulties. He will stand trial in March.

Protect your service transactions between private individuals with Obvy

Classified ad sites are very effective when you want to carry out transactions - goods or services - between private individuals. However, the freedom that these sites offer gives rise to a number of scams that are increasing every day.

There are many scams involving service transactions, from rental scams toemployment scams... Be vigilant.Obvy also secures service transactions.