Fake ads on Daft.ie

thegreatiam

jmayo wrote: »

You mean they aren't really in the FBI ? :eek:

well, don't tell everyone, you'll ruin the fun

gaius c

jmayo wrote: »

BTW just seeing how some of these ads include pictures of apartments in Barcelona, does anyone know if someone is running the reverse scam in Barcelone using pictures of apartments/flats in Dublin ?

Absolutely. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to live in Priory Hall?

dtipp

Interesting that DAFT don't seem to be just taking down the advert, they list it as having been Let - I wonder do they count that in their figures
This is a common notice on one of the scam adverts taken down by DAFT

"154 Shannon House, IFSC, Dublin 1, Dublin City Centre
This Property Has Been Let, here are some similar properties in the area."

Daft.ie Support

Hi All,

Sorry for dragging up the thread, but we have received permission from the Moderators to post a response.

In relation to the 'scam' adverts on the Daft.ie website - if you come across one - the best thing to do is use the 'report ad' function on our site. The 'report ad' button is located below the photos on the full advert. Much like the 'report post' function on Boards, it sends an alert to our content team with a link to the advert in question and your reason for reporting it.
We can then investigate the advert and take any appropriate action.

We have a Safety Online page on our site if anyone wishes to view it.

Kind Regards,

The Daft Team

gaius c

Thanks for the update.

odds_on

donalfo wrote: »

I am looking for a place in Dublin for the last month or so. I've noticed these odd lettings that pop up every so often. http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=1338073
This one has a great price, but on closer inspection the photographs are from an apartment outside of Ireland, i.e. the electrical sockets are not to Irish regulation. and 24 Abbey street does not look like that from google streetview.

I have seen a few of these in the last while, really good prices for swanky apartments, then they disappear after a few days. Are these the 'phantom landlords' scammers? Can these be reported, and if so, to whom?

You can report an an to daft.ie if you think there is something wrong and they will check it out.
Just click on the "Report this ad" on any daft properties page, whether properties for sale or for rent.

I've reported a few and the ad has either been modified or removed (by whom, I don't know!)

The_Conductor

Air conditioning isn't necessarily a good scam alert- there were over 25,000 residential A/C units installed since 2006- and thats excluding the many DIY installs, such as my own. Air Con is not expensive- you'd have a good residential system up and running and properly installed, for less than a grand.

jmayo

smccarrick wrote: »

Air conditioning isn't necessarily a good scam alert- there were over 25,000 residential A/C units installed since 2006- and thats excluding the many DIY installs, such as my own. Air Con is not expensive- you'd have a good residential system up and running and properly installed, for less than a grand.

Can I ask why the hell do you need air conditioning in an Irish home ?
Ever been to a Spanish, Australian home etc without air con ?

Yet another one of the must have items from the Celtic bubble I guess.

The_Conductor

jmayo wrote: »

Can I ask why the hell do you need air conditioning in an Irish home ?
Ever been to a Spanish, Australian home etc without air con ?

Yet another one of the must have items from the Celtic bubble I guess.

Lots of Irish properties were built with significant glass windows/doors/walls- and many were exceptionally poorly insulated- meaning they get very very hot in the summer, and very damn cold in the winter. Yes- people were throwing money out the door- but electricity cost half what it does now (we've increased our electricity prices 39% since 2007- the highest rate of increase in the EU, and propelling us to the 4th most expensive country for electricity in the EU).

Yes- it was a celtic tiger thing- but it was something we embraced

expectationlost

http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?search=Search+%26raquo%3B&s[search_type]=area&s[a_id]=298&s[cc_id]=298&s[c_id]=1&s[ct_id]=1&offset=0&no_index=1&fr=default

24 Abbey Street Lower, Dublin 1, Dublin City Centre
This Property Has Been Let, here are some similar properties in the area.

need a bit more variety in the messages, it might help people to point out its a rogue uploader

The_Conductor

expectationlost wrote: »

need a bit more variety in the messages, it might help people to point out its a rogue uploader

Perhaps- a bland 'This property is not available. Here are some similar properties in the area that match your search criterion' or something like that?

silentrust

donalfo wrote: »

do they expect people to post cash deposits before seeing the property?

The one from yesterday is 'let'. I wonder if these show up on Daft.ie reports of rental prices.

I e-mailed the agent for the craic using my spam e-mail account to say that I'm interested in the apartment, just to see what happens.:)

Please do play along, it'll be really interesting to see how it pans out!

The Reverse image search is an excellent idea, as well as naturally making sure you view the property first.

I am letting a room at the moment though and a prospective tenant has offered to talk via Skype as she is living in Italy and coming to Dublin at the end of the month.

She has said if she's happy and we are too, she'll wire me the rent and deposit- her idea, not mine!

I can only assume that with the number of people looking for accommodation in Ireland, some people who live away are willing to pay up front without having seen the place.

Considering how cheap it is to stay at a youth hostel though you would think they'd come and see for themselves!

silentrust

Daft.ie Support wrote: »

Hi All,

Sorry for dragging up the thread, but we have received permission from the Moderators to post a response.

In relation to the 'scam' adverts on the Daft.ie website - if you come across one - the best thing to do is use the 'report ad' function on our site. The 'report ad' button is located below the photos on the full advert. Much like the 'report post' function on Boards, it sends an alert to our content team with a link to the advert in question and your reason for reporting it.
We can then investigate the advert and take any appropriate action.

We have a Safety Online page on our site if anyone wishes to view it.

Kind Regards,

The Daft Team

Personally I would treat with extreme skepticism anyone who wants to be paid by anything other than bank transfer.

If they own the place, surely they must have a mortgage, which in turn implies a bank account? Similarly if yourself legit property management firm, would you really take payments through MoneyBookers?

I wonder if the scam artists are using their own credit card to pay for the ads?