Illegal lettings websites are targeting UK consumers and defrauding them of thousands of pounds according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).

Foreign criminals have been using copies of UK lettings sites - a process known as ‘scraping’- to persuade consumers to part with their deposits.

Some of these websites are highly professional in appearance and use industry logos to convince overseas tenants of their legitimacy.

"Tenants must double check the validity of the websites that they are using by checking websites such as ARLA and then contact the agent on the details listed there if they have any doubts," warned Ian Potter, Operations Manager at ARLA. "Unfortunately, criminals who are operating from abroad can easily misappropriate company brands and industry logos to convince consumers that they are dealing with a legitimate lettings organisation."

“Due to the apparent quality of some of these fraudulent sites, tenants should also ensure that they use bona fide web portals where they can be sure that all the properties are being advertised through regulated agents."

ARLA say that their members have noted a particular upsurge of fraud from companies posting on the website Gumtree who claim to be letting properties in Sydney. In the past, this has also been seen for properties in London and in other major UK cities for student lettings.

These illegal sites essentially hijack a UK agents website appearance and offer access to properties and rental opportunities. Consumers who have paid in deposits into the accounts of the representatives of these sites have been left out of pocket and without access to the property they have been promised.

"We have had numerous reports from our member agents at ARLA, who have noted an increase in the trend of website scraping in the past six months. We urge any concerned tenant to always use a licensed letting agent - they can call to confirm the identity of that agent through ARLA,” said Potter.

ARLA’s Top Tips to avoid being caught out:

Get a friend, contact or relative to check the property exists and is available.
Do not pay monies if you or a reliable contact has not visited the property with an agent or the landlord.
Ask for copies of tenancy agreements and any safety certificates such as Gas Electricity or HMO Licence.
Do not be pressurised into transferring large sums of money. Transfer funds to a Bank Account having obtained the details by contacting the landlord or agent direct after the above steps have been followed.
Victims of any fraud must also inform the Trading Standards Board as well as the police, particularly in cases where money has been lost.