A concerning new wave of rental scams is emerging, with scammers now posing as Consumer Protection to trick prospective tenants into believing their security bond payment is secure so they can continue the deceit and steal more money.
- Rental scam victims receiving fake emails 'confirming' bogus bond lodgements
- New tactic by scammers to prolong the deception for more money
- Genuine emails about security bonds come from wa.gov.au addresses only
A concerning new wave of rental scams is emerging, with scammers now posing as Consumer Protection to trick prospective tenants into believing their security bond payment is secure so they can continue the deceit and steal more money.
The WA ScamNet team at Consumer Protection is hearing from increasing numbers of victims who, after paying upfront for non-existent rental properties, are receiving follow-up emails from scammers posing as the Bonds Administration team to falsely confirm receipt of a residential tenancy bond payment. To add credibility, these emails often contain WA Government letterheads and official forms taken from the Consumer Protection website.
So far in 2025, WA ScamNet has received 35 reports of rental scams, with 12 victims losing a total of $27,875 - on track to surpass the 45 reports, 16 victims and $39,935 in losses reported for the entirety of 2024.
In a recent and troubling case, a man for whom English is a second language lost $2,400 after believing he had secured a northern suburbs rental property. He met the fake landlord in person, who deceptively claimed the property could not be viewed internally as it was currently tenanted. Following this meeting, the victim received a fake bond lodgement email, along with further demands for upfront rent payments.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake said the biggest giveaway of a fake bond lodgement email was the email address itself.
"While scammers can replicate many things, they can't make their email addresses originate from the State Government," Ms Blake said.
"Hover over the sender's email address. If it doesn't end with wa.gov.au , then that's a very clear sign any correspondence claiming to be from Consumer Protection's Bonds Administration team is fake."
Ms Blake said it was important for prospective tenants to be aware of the tricks and tactics used by rental scammers before paying any money upfront.
"Online marketplaces and social media platforms are the primary hunting grounds for rental scammers, who use fake property listings and respond to 'rental wanted' ads to find victims," the Commissioner said.
"To outsmart rental scammers, always insist on an inside inspection before parting with any money and be wary of 'too good to be true' rent prices as that's a common tactic to lure more victims."
TIPS TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED:
- Be suspicious of properties being rented for well below the current rental value.
- Never solely rely on photos provided to you. Do a reverse image search.
- Search the address online to see if the property exists or if it is listed by a different agency.
- Always inspect the property prior to signing a lease agreement or paying money.
- Only deal with landlords you can meet face-to-face, or go through a licensed real estate agent.
- Ensure you receive the keys and a copy of the signed lease agreement (on a prescribed Form 1AA) in exchange for any funds you have agreed to pay.
- Be careful if asked to pay funds via direct bank transfer unless you are sure the payment is to a licensed real estate agent.
- If in doubt - contact WA ScamNet on 1300 30 40 54
