The scam began when the agent dealt with a woman who wanted to rent the property. She said she was married with a child, and had a husband working in Dubai.
The property she targeted is let out on behalf of a landlord who is currently abroad. The house in Fulham had no mortgage on it. Most unusually, the tenant asked for details of the landlord, which he supplied.
She passed independent tenancy checks – the agent is now looking at these procedures – and produced an apparently valid passport. She took possession of the property on the day her tenancy commenced and keys were handed over to her.
Click here to read the full story Tenant who stole landlord's ID nearly pulls off £800,000 fraud
This amazing story clearly highlights the need for all landlords and agents to be absolutely sure about the identity and integrity of a prospective tenant before handing over the keys.
You can credit check tenants using our Tenant Referencing service provided by Experian, the world's leading credit referencing agency. Click here for more information Tenant Referencing through NetRent.co.uk.
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