Waterford students warned of an increasing number of accommodation scams
Gardaí in Waterford and SETU Student's Union are advising students returning to university to be on high alert for rental scams this year.
“The total amount of SETU students who are subject to fraud generally stays the same every year, however it increases significantly as we get to the end of August” SETU Student’s Union President Mark Dunne said.
“Thus far there hasn’t been much alert to the Student’s Union regarding accommodation scams, but every year as we come closer to the start of the semester it does increase. I have no doubt that we will see them popping up again this year" he added.
Mr. Dunne outlined that although everyone is a target, international students are particularly vulnerable:
“We would see a big increase in international students falling victim. Fraudsters will often advertise on Zoom or Skype calls and tell people they’re a landlord. They won’t show the property it will just be them sitting in front of a camera. That’s a red flag. We advise international students not to fall for that and more often than not it is the international student cohort that is targeted with it.”
Mr. Dunne added that SETU advises students to become familiar with the average rent price in the area: “If the rent sounds too good to be true, it probably is” he said.
Students are also advised not to hand over any money until they’ve physically viewed the property and if going through a rental agency, to ensure that it is legitimate.
Students should keep copies of any correspondence between landlords or advertisers, ensure that contracts are legitimate and ensure keys fit the lock.
