Co Kildare woman warns of 'fake' property scam aimed at house hunters

A teacher living in Co Kildare has warned about a property scam targeting people looking for accommodation.

The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, was offered a fake one-bed apartment on Eyre Street in Newbridge for €600 a month with all bills included.

Issuing a warning to others, the teacher said: "The man is going by the name of 'Lloyd Wicker' and he says he and his partner 'Martha' are going abroad to work for a charity and need to rent out their property."

The email sent to the Kildare woman even has photographs of the 'apartment'.

There are also photos of an elderly couple claiming to be 'Lloyd and Martha'.

The scam operates when 'Lloyd' demands an online cash deposit upfront before prospective tenants can view the house - potentially netting thousands of euros from victims.

The Co Kildare teacher who contacted KildareNow wasn't fooled by the scam.

She believes the scammers possibly got her email from Daft.ie where she has advertised that she's looking for an apartment in the Co Kildare area.

The slippery conman also set up a bogus page on TripAdvisor.

The scam email from 'Lloyd' to the Co Kildare teacher said: "We will be away for 3 years or more that's why we've made up our minds to put up the property for rent to whoever will take good care of it.

"The full address of the property is: Eyre Street, Newbridge,  Kildare. It's fully equipped, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, wireless and car spot available.

"The monthly rental price will be €600 which includes all the utilities (water, gas, electricity and internet). The flat is very clean as you can see from the attached pictures."

The woman who contacted KildareNow added: "People need to be aware that this scam is operating and a lot of people are desperate for accommodation at the moment so they should really be cautious."