Online rental scams are unfortunately on the rise in Dublin and it’s important, if possible, to report on a timely basis. Reporting may or may not result in a conviction however reporting could potentially prevent another scam from occuring.
Reporting a scam help others
Dublin rental scams should be reported to your local Garda station who can investigate the matter on your behalf. If you live outside this jurisdiction you should report the matter to your local police station and request that the complaint be forwarded to this jurisdiction for investigation.
Reporting scams to Secureprop.com
We’d also recommend that you report the scam to Secureprop.com – Secureprop provides a range of tools and services to help prevent online rental scams and it also enables scam reporting.
Secureprop can provide a lot of helpful information when it comes to applying for reimbursement from financial institutions.
Provide as much detailed information as you can
In order to report a rental scam, you will need to visit your local police station. and provide as much information as possible. You are likely to be asked the following when providing your statement:
- Date you were first in contact with the scammer
- How you were introduced (eg. platform, online advertisement etc.)
- How you communicated (calls, whatsapp, messages etc.)
- Rent scammer details including phone number, social media profile details, alias etc.
- Total amount lost in the scam
- Details of how you paid the rent scammer (e.g. Revolut, bank transfer etc.)
- Rent scammer’s account details (bank account number, Revolut details etc.)
- Any documentation to support the details of the case (correspondence etc.)
- Any other relevant information
Scammers are hard to catch with low prosecution rates
It’s worth noting that the number of prosecutions versus the number of rent scams reported is extremely low however we would always recommend that you report it.
As a matter of urgency, we would also recommend that you report the rent scam to the following:
- The platform/property website which introduced you the scammer
- Your bank and the rent scammer’s bank (you should do this right away)
- Any other relevant agency or advocacy group (Examples in the UK include Action Fraud in the UK, Citizen’s information, Which.co.uk)
- Secureprop.com – they log and monitor scams in order to raise awareness and alert relevant platforms, community hosts Universities etc.)
Need support?
Finally, it’s worth noting that there are supports in place for victims of rent scams and financial crimes. If you or a friend or family member has been impacted by crime, there are a number of organisation in Ireland who can help. We recommend reaching out for support via the Crime Victims Helpline in Ireland (registered Irish Charity) as it can be helpful to receive support from family, friends or support services. You can contact the Crime Victims Helpline Freephone at 116006.
Feel free to contact us at info@dublinrelo.ie if you need further assistance.