Scams australia property real estate scammers queensland 20220506 p5yh1e.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Multiple people fall victim to same scam after applying for fake Facebook rental property

Marina Trajkovich

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Multiple Queenslanders have been scammed online in their search for a rental property, losing thousands of dollars in their search for a home.

Real estate agents have confirmed scams targeting renters are on the rise, with some scammers targeting multiple victims with a single post.

Single mum Marie-Claire Lord is the latest of several Queenslanders conned out of their savings after applying for a home on Facebook.

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Real estate agents have confirmed scams targeting renters are on the rise. Nine

After reaching out to a woman going by the name Regina, she lost $2000 on what she thought was her future home on the Gold Coast.

After transferring the money for the Pimpama property's bond, she said the online ad disappeared.

"It makes me sick with anxiety that this has happened," Lord said.

"I was willing to pay up to months six months rent up-front.

"That was $14,000."

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Emma Snowdon from Wings Real Estate, who manages the real Pimpama property, said 10 people had fallen victim to the same scam.

"Never have I seen anything like this," she said.

"I have just told people you need to report it to the authorities because it's out of our control which is really unfortunate."

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Police are urging people to do their research and always inspect the property before sending any money.

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Police are urging people to do their research and always inspect the property before sending any money. Nine

Renters have been told to cross-check properties from reputable websites to see if ads have been copied from another site.

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Those who think they've been scammed should contact their bank immediately to try to block the transaction.

Federal cyber-crime investigators are looking into the scam.

"My advice is definitely if it feels too good to be true, it normally is," Lord said.

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