Real Estate FROM COAST TO COUNTRY
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Rental scammers preying on vulnerable stolen another lady named Diane Fox’s ID and she stole her licence in the same scam, as Diane was also looking for a home.” Jay tracked down the real Diane Fox and messaged her. “She rang and said she knew about it but there was nothing she could do because this person disappeared,” he said. “Diane had been to the police but nothing was done because no money was taken, it was attempted fraud. “I rang the police and they said there was nothing they could do as nothing was stolen.” Jay said the scammer asked him to put money into her account to secure the rental. “I’m a disability pensioner but she wouldn’t accept a Ministry of Housing bond which is legal tender; you pay them back if you are strife like me if you have been evicted out of the blue,” he said. “She wanted me to put $600 to secure it and she was sending texts asking, when can you put the money and when do you want to move in.
Open Homes Saturday, December 18
“I said anytime around Christmas. She was just hassling for the money. “I know myself a house in Kingscliff Street would go for a lot more than that and she was saying it was a one-bedroom house, even though it was two units.” Jay said he played along with her because he wanted to expose her. “She probably sent me 20 or 30 over a day and wanted me to put money in by 7.30pm Friday night,” he said. “I presume she thought she could run away with it over the weekend and I said I’d put the money in. “I heard nothing until about 7 and she said she would send her account details by 7.30pm and would draw up papers, not a lease which I thought was suss. “I didn’t ask to see the house because she hadn’t offered and then at 7.30pm I asked for the details and she said she would get back to me asap.” Finally the next morning, the woman sent Jay the account
Jay Smith said he wanted to help make locals aware of the scam so they could avoid getting stung
The scammer stole the identity of Diane Fox, a Sunshine Coast woman, before sending Jay these texts
details with what he presumed was her real name; Megan Tyson. “They (banks) are pretty strict on that sort of thing,” he said. “I sent her back a message saying, ‘Hi I just wanted you to know the place in Kingy Street is two units not a house. “I have also spoken to the real Dianne Fox whose licence you stole. “You’re a horrible person and
the police have had other reports of you as well.’ “There were other people that posted that have had the same thing happen; it’s happening all over Australia, but there were some in Tweed. “So I still need somewhere to live. If there is anyone out there who can help please get in touch with me on jay000400@gmail. com”
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By Jo Kennett LOCALS ARE being warned to beware of a real estate scam where desperate residents are asked to fork out bond money for rental properties that don’t exist. Cudgen’s Jay Smith was given notice to leave his long-term rental after the elderly owner decided to move downstairs into the ground floor flat. Jay, who runs Kingscliff’s Buy Swap and Sell site and the Tweed Shire Pay it Forward site, as well as volunteering locally, posted an ad on several community group websites “looking for a granny flat or one bedroom unit for 300 a week.” “This lady texted me and gave me an address for a rental house for $300 a week,” Jay said. “I used to live nearby and was pretty sure it was units so I played along with her and went and saw the people who lived there. “It was two units, and a young lady was home so I showed her the texts so she knew I was sincere. “It turned out the lady had