CribCheckStep 1 — Identify the owner
Ask who owns the property and for a document showing it. If the owner is a company, ask for the company name and check it is registered. If the owner has died and family are letting it, ask who holds authority.
Step 2 — Check the agent's authority
An agent should hold a letter or mandate from the owner permitting them to let the property and collect money. Ask for it, read it and keep a copy. No mandate, no payment.
Step 3 — Match the account name
The receiving account should be the landlord's name or the registered business name of the agency. A third party's personal account is the single most common feature of a rental scam.
Step 4 — Ask the people who live there
- Speak to the outgoing tenant about the landlord and the property's problems.
- Ask two neighbours who the landlord is, and whether this agent is known there.
- Ask the caretaker or gateman how long the property has been vacant.
Step 5 — Verify the agent independently
- Visit the agency's physical office, not just a WhatsApp number.
- Check the business registration name against the account name.
- Look for professional registration and ask for the membership number.
- Search the agent's name and phone number alongside the word 'scam'.
Verification protects your money; a condition check protects what you are buying. Do both before you pay.