x
By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies to enhance your experience.
KEYWORD "Fraud" - 100 RESULTS
National Insurance cut offers chance to identify tenancy fraud

Tenant reference and tech supplier The Lettings Hub claims 25 per cent of fraudulent documents submitted by would-be tenants were identified...

08 March 2024

From: Breaking News

Companies House clampdown on dodgy agents’ data and information

Companies House has new powers from this week to combat fraud. These are measures under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act...

05 March 2024

From: Breaking News

Agent stole over £40,000 from firm which hadn’t noticed missing money

A letting agent who stole over £40,000 from her employer was caught when a bank queried the use of a company...

22 February 2024

From: Breaking News

How can agents use PropTech to win new landlord clients?

A free webinar next week will explore how agents can use technology solutions to attract and win new landlords for their...

16 February 2024

From: Breaking News

New tenant referencing service launches today

VISTA, a tenant referencing service first announced back in November, launches today. Insurance and referencing service HomeLet says the product will “provide...

15 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Rental scams could soar as AI spreads, warns industry figure

A prominent industry expert says lettings agents and other property sector insiders should be extra-vigilant over cybersecurity breaches. Neil Cobbold, managing director...

12 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Jailed! Agency owner who helped Albanian gang create huge drug empire

A wealthy landlord who set up a fake lettings agency in Hull has been jailed for 11 years for allowing ‘ghost tenants’ to...

07 February 2024

From: Breaking News

How Tenants try to Defraud Agents - webinar to reveal all this week

A PropTech supplier this week hosts a free webinar for agents to shed light on the rise of attempted tenancy fraud...

16 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Artificial Intelligence and Client Money Security - free webinar tomorrow

Propertymark is hosting a client money security webinar tomorrow lunchtime between 12.30 and 13.30. The webinar will discuss the rise of Artificial...

15 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Lettings agency was front for multi million pound drugs gang

An organised crime group involved in producing and distributing an estimated £2.4m of cannabis has been found to have e used...

10 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Foreign ownership property registration scheme hailed a success

A register launched to shed light on overseas property ownership in the UK now has over 30,000 registrations.  The Register of Overseas...

27 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Covid Fraud - property company bosses given suspended sentences

Two property company bosses have been sentenced following an Insolvency Service investigation which found they had abused a £30,000 Bounce Back...

20 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Agents list major problems with Renters Reform Bill

Propertymark has set out its pro-agency position on a range of issues contained in the Renters Reform Bill, currently trundling through...

07 December 2023

From: Breaking News

PropTech tenant referencing link for 1,250-member agents’ group

UK Association of Letting Agents has announced a link with PropTech supplier Canopy. UKALA member agents will receive a discount if they...

21 November 2023

From: Breaking News

New tenant referencing service claims to revolutionise industry

HomeLet claims its new VISTA service will revolutionise the lettings industry by eliminating fraud through the use of detection technology and...

06 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Good News - More landlords instruct letting agents

Increasing numbers of landlords are considering instructing lettings agents for the first time because of increased red tape and the complexity...

29 September 2023

From: Breaking News

“Heavy Handed Banks” slammed for pooled client account crisis

Propertymark has responded to an HM Treasury consultation on anti-money laundering processes - and in doing so it’s slammed “heavy handed...

28 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Scams expert joins board of The Property Ombudsman

The Head of the National Trading Standards Scams Team is one of two new non-executive directors at The Property Ombudsman. Louise Baxter...

12 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Fraud alert for fake properties issued by classified ad website

The classified ad website Gumtree is issuing an alert about what it claims is the growing threat of rental fraud. It says...

05 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Fake Agents and Landlords - renters face fraud threats online

New figures suggest soaring numbers of tenants are at risk from criminals taking advantage of the tough rental market. Scammers place fake...

22 August 2023

From: Breaking News

Alto unveils ‘much requested’ PropTech integration

Zoopla’s Alto cloud-based software has announced a new integration with lettings PropTech supplier Canopy. This will enable tenant referencing to be permitted...

11 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Fraudster agent must repay £123,000 or face more jail time

A fraudster lettings agent must repay £122,922.68 to her old firm within three months - or face yet more time in...

26 June 2023

From: Breaking News

Banned! Fraudster lettings agent jailed and cannot be a director

Trading Standards has stopped a lettings agency owner from being a company director after he defrauded customers by over £80,000. Francis Smart,...

19 June 2023

From: Breaking News

Right To Rent made easier by PropTech link - claim

PropTech supplier Goodlord has announced a partnership with an identity verification technology service which would allow agents to conduct digital Right...

30 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Activists threaten action if rental reform ‘does not deliver’

Shelter is telling the government it “must deliver” on the revolution it pledges under the Renters Reform Bill. Chief executive Polly Neate...

17 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Faster and more secure tenant referencing pledge by supplier

PropTech rental platform  Goodlord has partnered with an open banking platform to enhance its tenant referencing service. Goodlord, which first integrated open...

12 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Agency accused of fake claims over tenants’ deposits

A lettings agency has been accused of falsely claiming deposits were being held in a deposit protection scheme and other related...

24 April 2023

From: Breaking News

Fraud - agency maintenance chief steals almost £100,000

A lettings agency maintenance manager stole almost £100,000 from her company - but has escaped prison. Farida Mughal was working at the...

19 April 2023

From: Breaking News

String of dodgy letting agents expelled by Ombudsman

Several lettings agents have been expelled from The Property Ombudsman scheme; they are amongst eight named as having been kicked out...

06 April 2023

From: Breaking News

Agents in the frame as fraud compliance measures beefed up

Corrupt elites and criminal gangs who abuse the property and financial sectors will be identified and stripped of their cash, the...

05 April 2023

From: Breaking News

New PropTech products launched for letting agents

HomeLet has launched a product to help combat tenancy fraud, which it claims has seen a 36 per cent rise since...

14 March 2023

From: Breaking News

Self-managing landlords ready to instruct agents - new report

The majority of private landlords would consider switching to a letting agency because of the current complexity of buy to let.  A...

09 March 2023

From: Breaking News

More renters lie about pay to secure tenancies - claim

Over half of all fraudulent tenancy applications involve fake or doctored pay slips, a PropTech firm claims. Goodlord analysed a sample size...

16 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Lettings manager guilty of fraud - but how much did she take?

A former lettings manager has pleaded guilty to defrauding her agency employers for almost five years - but there’s uncertainty over...

13 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Airbnb issues consumer warning about scams

Short lets platform Airbnb - increasingly used by landlords acting as hosts - has issued a warning to consumer users about...

30 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Big rise in fraudulent applications claims reference service

Attempted fraud in the letting sector has risen sharply over the past two years, it’s been claimed. Tenant reference provider Homeppl claims...

27 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Illegal sub-letting case ends with £34,000 for former tenant

A young family have started 2023 in their new permanent home after a London council recovered the property from an illegal...

20 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Rogue agent jailed after ordering staff to make false claims

The head of a Martin & Co office in Wolverhampton has been jailed over fraudulent activity. A court heard that Bhavander Singh...

16 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Growing number of fraudulent ID and lettings applications

Data from fraud prevention database CIFAS a marked increase in both identity fraud and false lettings applications in the UK according...

15 December 2022

From: Breaking News

One in 20 properties may be let to criminals - warning to agents

A lettings platform claims that as many as one in 20 rental properties may be let to criminals - that’s some...

21 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Today! Key webinar on Making Tax Digital

The vexed subject of letting agents and landlords preparing for the Making Tax Digital regime is to be examined in a...

16 November 2022

From: Breaking News

PropTech referencing service moves into Right To Rent

Referencing service Homeppl is expanding into Right to Rent checks. A digital R2R check can be integrated into Homeppl tenant referencing checks...

11 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Labour pledge to go further than government on rental reform

Labour’s new housing spokesperson, Matthew Pennycook, says his party would go further than the government on the subject of private rental...

07 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Rejected! More tenancy applications turned down by agents

A growing number of rental applications are being rejected by agents, it’s been claimed. PropTech firm Vouch says that between January and...

12 October 2022

From: Breaking News

The insider threat – 5 ways PayProp secures your letting agency

According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, organisations worldwide lose $4.7 trillion to fraud each year, with real estate suffering...

30 September 2022

From: Sponsored Content

PropTech partnerships aim to make life easier for agents

Lettings Hub says there were 91,593 cases of tenant application fraud in 2021 alone, with the most common form of fraud...

23 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Call for more due diligence after rogue letting agent jailed

Trading Standards is calling for more due diligence checks to be made following the jailing of a rogue letting agent for...

31 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Jailed! Another 34 months for agent already guilty of assault

A former lettings agent has been jailed for almost three years after admitting conning landlords out of over £80,000. The sentence for...

30 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Guilty letting agent who stole deposits now awaits sentence

A letting agent who stole over £80,000 from landlords is awaiting sentence. Frank Smart - owner of Smart Residential Letting Agents in...

15 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Guide for agents on how to spot fraudster tenant applicants

An analysis from PropTech firm Goodlord claims that agents and landlords would have lost a combined £1m over the last year...

12 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Growing arrears risk may hit agents claims PropTech firm

Landlords and agents face a growing risk of rent arrears and tenant fraud because of the cost of living crisis. That’s the...

08 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Conservative lettings agent lets rip at government over regulation delays

The former president of ARLA Propertymark has made an outspoken attack on the government for failing to regulate the agency industry. Maxine...

30 June 2022

From: Breaking News

PropTech required to slash risk of fraud, letting agents told

Letting agents have been told they must have the right technology to reduce the risk of fraud. Olly Thornton-Berry, co-founder of risk...

09 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Tenancy Fraud fears prompt warnings to agents

Industry suppliers are linking up to host a webinar for agents this week outlining the growing risks of tenancy fraud. HomeLet, Let...

23 May 2022

From: Breaking News

PropTech supplier launches new referencing service

PropTech supplier The Lettings Hub has launched a tenant referencing service that it claims allows letting agents to conduct their own...

08 April 2022

From: Breaking News

10-fold rise in tenancy fraud triggers new guarantor service

A PropTech provider has launched a renter guarantor service after claiming there’s been a 10-fold rise in tenancy fraud in the...

06 April 2022

From: Breaking News

HMRC owed £270,000 by bankrupt lettings agent - court case halted

Proceedings against a bankrupt letting agent have been delayed 10 weeks to allow mental health reports to be prepared.  Madelaina Eftekhari is...

04 April 2022

From: Breaking News

PropTech firm launches new products claiming to combat rental fraud

PropTech company Homeppl has launched two products that it calls “revolutionary fraud detection tools” for letting agents. One of the two technologies...

10 February 2022

From: Breaking News

Agency Fraudster - Suspended sentence for agent embezzling £50,000

A lettings agency employee who diverted over £50,000 of landlords’ money into his own account has been given a suspended sentence. Paul...

08 February 2022

From: Breaking News

How agents can reduce fraud before, during and after the referencing process 

In this tips piece, Blake Richmond, managing director of referencing at Goodlord, sets out how agents can combat fraud in the lettings process.  Over...

07 February 2022

From: Legislation & Compliance

Property Fraud - Agents have key role to deter crime

An hour-long webinar this week aims to inform agents how to deter property fraud by greater emphasis on compliance, due diligence...

24 January 2022

From: Breaking News

Don't use social media to find rental properties - warning to tenants

A leading lettings agent has warned tenants against using social media to find rental properties.  David Alexander - head of DJ Alexander,...

06 January 2022

From: Breaking News

Fraudulent tenant applications rife in some rental properties - claim

A PropTech firm claims to have saved a client more than £160,000 by preventing a criminal from illegally renting one of...

20 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Property Fraud - how agents can combat a growing threat

Property fraud is on the rise and early in 2022 agents will have an opportunity to attend a webinar featuring a...

10 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Agent Alert - fake firm posing as legitimate lettings agency

A fake lettings operation has been uncovered by a leading legitimate agency - and now the National Trading Standards Estate and...

06 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Scam using Facebook Marketplace sees tenants lose thousands

A scam in one city has reportedly seen scores of individuals robbed of thousands of pounds as short lets have been...

18 November 2021

From: Breaking News

PropTech: could open banking help the lettings industry?

A PropTech firm says Open Banking could help to transform the lettings industry for the better if it is fully embraced.  And...

17 November 2021

From: Breaking News

Tenant fraud surges massively in Build To Rent sector

The Build to Rent sector is being targeted by criminals with a 364 per cent rise in fraudulent tenant applications in...

26 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Alexander Siedes, Founder and CEO of Homeppl

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? Alexander Siedes, CEO and Founder of Homeppl What is Homeppl and...

18 October 2021

From: 60 Second Interview

Why is tenancy fraud on the rise?

More and more people are committing tenancy fraud and it’s having a massive impact on the industryAs a lettings agency, you...

07 October 2021

From: Proptech & Innovation

Lettings platform signs deal with referencing and due diligence service

An international residential platform which manages 200,000 properties in 29 countries across Europe - including the UK - has signed an...

29 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Lettings agent jailed after £182,000 fraud

A lettings agent has been jailed for three years for defrauding tenants and landlords out of more than £182,000.  Lee Clarke, 42,...

20 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Rogue lettings - ex agent given suspended sentence for fraud

A six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, has been handed to a former lettings agent from Eastbourne for charges of...

16 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Tenant due diligence PropTech platform secures £1m new funding

A PropTech platform which uses Open Banking to help with tenant due diligence has raised another £1m in funding. Homeppl - which...

09 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Fraud alarm raised for agents over sophisticated fake documents

Propertymark is alerting agents to ever-more sophisticated fraudulent documents being used in the private rental sector. The organisation recently requested agents to...

27 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Student rents rise a fifth in just one year, says bank study

Student rent has increased almost 20 per cent over the last year.  In data released as part of the 2021 NatWest Student...

05 August 2021

From: Breaking News

PropTech integration means anti-rental fraud help via agents’ CRM

Agents using Reapit now have access to tenant due diligence and guarantee firm Homeppl, which will assist in combating rental fraud. Homeppl...

03 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Tenant fraud hits Build To Rent sector

Two PropTech companies say tenant fraud - reported to be a growing problem in buy to let - is now an...

02 August 2021

From: Breaking News

 Agent victims of tenancy fraud invited to come forward

Propertymark wants agents to come forward with examples of fraudulent tenancy applications - a growing problem in the rental sector. A statement...

27 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Agents Beware - Rental fraud on the rise, alleges due diligence firm

There’s a new warning the rental fraud could be on the rise. Due diligence firm Homeppl says the combination of possible job...

23 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Airbnb launches scheme to give hosts health and safety information

Airbnb has launched a scheme it calls the UK Trust and Safety Alliance to offer hosts information on health, safety and...

23 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Agent spots illegal rental scam - and police refuse to get involved

A lettings agent has told the BBC that he has spotted illegal rental scams using online platforms, but the police have...

28 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Beware of property and other investment scams - warning

The Citizens Advice consumer charity is warning that fake investment scams are amongst the fraudulent activity that’s on the rise across...

23 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Rents soar outside London - but dip in the capital itself

The latest rental market snapshot produced by HomeLet shows average rents outside of London soaring to higher levels and dropping in the capital itself.  The...

04 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Online agency’s new guide to avoid tenants falling victim of scams

The online lettings platform Mashroom has set out a list of guidelines it’s offering to prospective tenants to avoid them falling...

04 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Top property lawyer links with Rightmove to advise agents on data

Prominent property lawyer David Smith - recently in the news for his guidance for agents and landlords over the eviction ban...

02 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Agents warned over HMRC probes if they use old-fashioned ID checks

An anti-money laundering PropTech consultancy claims agents are in serious danger of non-compliance with new regulations, unless they ditch paper documents and...

25 May 2021

From: Breaking News

Fraud Frenzy: One in 20 tenancy applications may be fake

There’s been a huge 263 per cent increase in the value of fraudulent tenant applications in just three months, it’s been...

19 May 2021

From: Breaking News

Rent payment in three clicks made possible by PropTech provider

An automated payments service has teamed up with a student accommodation provider to devise an eCommerce system allowing simpler rent payments. Vyne uses...

28 April 2021

From: Breaking News

Five things agents dislike about tenant referencing

Tenant referencing. It’s a necessary evil.  Although most tenants are responsible and pay their rent on time, broke swindlers with dubious...

04 March 2021

From: Sponsored Content

Jail threat after fraud team probes HMO with illegal extensions

A landlord who built unlawful extensions to a family home and squeezed up to 14 people into the rooms has forfeited...

19 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Right To Rent IDs made easier for agents, claims new PropTech service

A new Right to Rent identity validation and storage system has been launched by industry supplier Canopy, in partnership with tech...

18 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Fraudsters steal listings and place them on Facebook Marketplace

A lettings agency is warning that fraudsters have copied property listings and put them on Facebook Marketplace, demanding deposits from the...

11 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Agents invited to upcoming anti-money laundering webinar

Rightmove is to host an anti-money laundering webinar next week, aimed at lettings and sales agents. The event, which is entitled Five...

13 November 2020

From: Breaking News

Latest eviction ban - is it even legal?

A top property law firm is questioning whether the government’s current eviction moratorium - effectively banning evictions until mid-January at the...

10 November 2020

From: Breaking News

No evictions until January 11 aside from extreme cases

The government has formally announced a pause in evictions in England until January 11 at the earliest. The only exceptions to this...

06 November 2020

From: Breaking News

£100,000 compensation to be paid by rogue lettings agents

Three lettings agents who kept tenants’ rent instead of passing it to the landlords have been ordered to pay almost £100,000...

30 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Top tips on how to ensure your AML procedures are up to scratch

The property market, and therefore, estate agents have been accused of being the 'weak link' in the UK’s money laundering defences. This...

29 October 2020

From: Legislation & Compliance

Fake lettings agent almost conned £1,500 out of tenants

A fake lettings agent has been caught trying to cheat prospective tenants out of £1,500 which she claimed was a deposit...

26 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Facial-recognition tenant referencing tool now available to agents

PropTech firm Goodlord is for the first time offering ‘bank-grade’ facial recognition to letting agents. As part of an update to its...

21 October 2020

From: Breaking News

MovePal MovePal MovePal