The Garda in Ireland issued a warning for students regarding rental scams. According to Garda, 503 cases of rental scams were reported between February 2019 and May 2021. The total loss was around 900,000 euros. As the restrictions eased, it is believed that the colleges will be opening not too late and the demand for rental accommodation for students can rise.
The 42% of people faced rental scams were under the age of 25, states the Garda report. And almost 50% of the scams were happened in Dublin region. The recent decline in such scams is assumed to be because of the Covid restrictions in place.
“New generation of third level students seeking accommodation could be a target for fraudsters” the Garda report suggests. The authorities also advice students to use only recognized letting agencies and do background check on individuals letting rooms. Even some rental websites can misguide as they seem legitimate. The rental offers through social media can also be a pool of fraudsters, the officials warn.
The mode of money transfer is another issue. The Garda urges the renters to use credit cards instead of direct cash pay or direct money transfer using cryptocurrency wallets. Even PayPal is not safe when it is used by unknown entities.
Meanwhile it is assumed that most of the higher education campuses will open up by next month. The government last week indicated that the remaining restrictions would be eased in September.