Families turn up to scam house

THREE families and removalist trucks rocked up to their “new home” at the weekend, only to find out they were the victims of a real estate rort sweeping the Coast.

The families had been scammed by a fraudster on Facebook Marketplace, who had falsely advertised a Pimpama property for rent for $500 per week.

The Bulletin last week reported three other would-be renters – including Patricia Pomare – were ripped off $8000 in the same sting.

Emma Snowdon of Wings Real Estate Helensvale, who had properly marketed the Xenia St property through realestate.com.au, said the scam had become “out of control and horrific”.

Several complaints have been made to federal cybercrime watchdog Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), who have passed on details to both Queensland and New South Wales Police.

Ms Snowdon said she heard from a source an interstate investigation was currently underway in Wollongong, and the scammer’s bank account had been frozen.

Marie-Claire Lord, of Newcastle, said she booked a flight to the Gold Coast to make a formal complaint to Queensland Police, after handing over $2000 (inset) to the fraudster last Thursday.

“The scariest part is I nearly handed over six month’s rent in advance – close to $14,000,” Ms Lord said.

“Since it has happened I’ve had the worst anxiety and stress and trouble sleeping.”

Ms Lord said she was a single parent on Centrelink and the $2000 was a “huge financial blow”.

“It might not be a lot of money to lose for some but it felt to me like my dreams were crushed,” she said.

Ms Lord said she was “desperate” to move back to the Gold Coast from Newcastle to be closer to her ex-partner, so he could see their twoyear-old son.

She said she started to feel “uneasy” about the fraudster through email exchanges.

“Once she told me she was going to send the keys to the property via overnight courier, I started to become really suspicious. But by that point it was too late,” Ms Lord said.

“I tried to google her name and that’s when I found out the property was listed on realestate.com.au for a different price. I then found out through Ms Snowdon at Wings Real Estate that I had been scammed, along with others.”

Ms Lord said she “dropped to the floor and started shaking”.

Patricia Pomare last week told the Bulletin she had been left “shattered” by the scam, and had spent her entire savings in a desperate attempt to find a home in the worst Gold Coast rental crisis in living memory. The fallout cost her a relationship with daughter.

It is understood police in both Queensland and New South Wales are investigating the matter.