Action Fraud has issued an urgent warning regarding a sophisticated new identity theft scam targeting the UK's highly competitive rental market. Fraudsters are exploiting desperate house-hunters to harvest the exact data needed to hijack their credit files.
How the scam works
Criminals post highly attractive, under-priced rental properties on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and even legitimate property portals. When a prospective tenant enquires, the "landlord" insists that due to high demand, the tenant must complete a "credit check" before viewing the property.
The tenant is sent a link to a fake, spoofed website designed to look like Experian or a legitimate tenant referencing agency. The victim enters their full name, date of birth, three years of address history, and bank details to "verify their identity."
The fallout
Armed with this comprehensive data package, the fraudsters have everything they need to bypass bank security checks. They immediately apply for high-interest personal loans, credit cards, and mobile phone contracts in the victim's name.
The victim usually only discovers the fraud weeks later when debt collection letters arrive at their address, or when they check their credit score and see it has been decimated by defaults on accounts they never opened.
How to protect yourself
Never pay for a credit check or hand over your full address history to an unverified private landlord before viewing a property. Legitimate letting agents will use registered referencing companies only after you have viewed the property and had an offer accepted.
If you suspect you have fallen victim to this scam, contact your bank immediately, report it to Action Fraud, and apply for CIFAS Protective Registration to lock down your credit file.