Accommodation fraud reported in Clare town

THERE have been reports of accommodation fraud taking place in Clare according to gardaí.

A woman in Shannon paid a deposit on a rental property in the local area to a French bank account, but once the deposit was paid, she could not make contact with the supposed ‘agent’.

The woman had seen a seasonal rental property online and made contact with the agent via WhatsApp. No refund has been given by her bank as of yet.

Crime Prevention Officer, Sergeant Triona Brooks told a local Clare radio station that in order to not be ‘tricked’, there are a couple of ways to ‘do your homework’ before paying any money. 

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“Use online maps to double check that the property being advertised actually exists and is at the stated address,” Sergeant Brooks said.

“Keep copies of all correspondence between yourself and the advertiser, including bank details and the advertisement itself and use legitimate well-known rental agencies where possible and don’t hand over any money until you have seen the property and are happy with its condition.”

Concluding her advice, Sergeant Brooks said that a person should not ‘be embarrassed’ and should always report the crime to a local garda station.