NHS nurse pays £2k deposit on new home before realising something is very wrong | UK | News

An NHS nurse has been left ‘traumatised’ after discovering the new home he had paid for was actually an Airbnb property belonging to someone else. Ben Echianu has accused a ‘heartless’ woman of scamming him out of £2,000. The 43 year old father of three, who had recently separated from his partner, was urgently seeking a spacious property for his children to visit.

He responded to an advert for a three-bedroom rental property in central Manchester, priced at £750 per month, and made contact with a woman claiming to be named Amy, reports the Manchester Evening News. Amy, who purported to be the owner, showed him around the house on June 19. To secure the semi-detached home, Ben transferred £1,000 via bank transfer and handed over £1,000 in cash. However, he claims that Amy ceased communication three days prior to his scheduled move-in date of July 1.

The perplexed NHS employee confessed to feeling ‘worried’ and decided to visit the property on June 29, where he noticed ‘other people’ inside, including a woman lounging on the sofa.

According to Ben, a neighbour informed him that the property was listed as an Airbnb accommodation and they were unfamiliar with anyone named Amy. The property is available for short-term rental on Airbnb and Booking.com, managed by City Superhost. After reporting the incident to City Superhost last week, the management company confirmed they have since changed the locks on the property. City Superhost suspects that a scammer orchestrated fake house viewings during the time she had reserved for her stay.

Ben, who is currently crashing at a mate’s place, expressed his devastation as the property was perfect and the move ‘meant so much.’ Following an internal probe, Airbnb has booted a user off their platform, while Gumtree urges users to flag dodgy activities so their ‘dedicated trust and safety team’ can take action. Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that the incident is being probed as an alleged fraud by the Action Fraud squad.

Chorlton resident Ben recounted: “When I realised it was a scam, it was a shock. I was really traumatised. Moving to this property meant so much to me. I recently separated with my partner so I needed a bigger place where my kids can come and sleep over. When she stopped responding to me I got really worried. All I needed to know is if the inventory appointment on Sunday would go ahead. The property is close to where I play football so the day before the meeting [Saturday] I went there and low and behold people were already in the property.

“I saw a lady lying on the sofa and when I knocked on the door she ran upstairs straight away and didn’t want to answer. One of the lodgers asked what the problem was, I asked for Amy and she said she didn’t know anyone called that and that this was a short-term rental.”

In a shocking rental scam revelation, Ben shared his experience, explaining that the so-called landlady could have duped several people. He recalled: “She may have rented it in the past and made a copy of the key so she might check when the place is available and then make appointments with people.”

After failing to reach her, Ben grew suspicious stating, “When I got back she still wasn’t picking up so I thought, ‘this isn’t normal’ and ‘it’s too good to be true’. The price was way below what is normal there.” Upon speaking to a neighbour he learned, “I spoke to a lady who lives beside the property [on Sunday] and she said to the best of her knowledge the house is used for Airbnb.” Ben realised he had been swindled and admitted, “She knows the owners and they’ve handed it over to a company that manages it. That’s when I realised it was a scam.”

Having agreed to pay a £2,000 deposit shortly after viewing the property and receiving swift acceptance, Ben found himself caught in the scammer’s web. He was provided keys by Amy, who posed as the landlord, and scheduled an inventory meeting and move-in date, only to be left hanging when she ceased all communication.

Despite hopes of retrieving some funds, Ben lamented that he will not recover the £1,000 paid in cash, while the other half might be claimed back through his bank. Assuming Amy is not new to this deception, Ben suspects she may have rented the property via Airbnb, obtained a spare key, and taken advantage of the empty premises to perform her sham viewings.

As for the property management’s perspective, a City Superhost spokesman commented on the incident saying, “We think somebody has booked it and during their stay has had a number of people [round] and she’s acted as an estate agent.”

The property management firm is on high alert after an unexpected incident, with a spokesperson stating: “We’re responsible for keeping the properties well maintained, well looked after and secure so when something like this happens our first thought is security and the safety of the guests and any future guests.” They’ve taken immediate action, revealing: “We’ve got both sets of locks changed, we’ve spoken with the neighbour who has a camera and she’s been very helpful and we’re in communication with the police.”

Highlighting the rarity of such events, they added: “Most people are here for genuine reasons, whether it’s visiting friends and family, for tourism or events that are on. Like any industry, if you’ve got one person who wants to upset things then they’re going to try and do it.”

With an impressive track record, the company emphasised: “City Superhost manages nearly 100 properties and this is the first time something like this has ever happened. We’re Airbnb superhosts and 99 per cent of guests are fantastic and just want to use the property.”

Ben, determined to prevent further incidents, expressed his hope for justice: “There is a housing crisis and cost-of-living crisis so when people see something where it’s quite cheap she plays on their vulnerability” he said.

He also shared his proactive approach to the situation: “It makes it worse that I have heard other people have been scammed. I want to make sure she’s apprehended. She’s heartless. I don’t think she knew I was taking the video of the property so I captured her face and everything.”

Airbnb reassures users of their commitment to safety, stating they have ‘trust and safety teams’ to identify fraud on their platform and encourage users to report suspicious activity.

Gumtree UK has launched its annual crackdown on fraud, alongside top online safety experts to educate users about third-party scams, reminding bargain hunters to stay alert to deals that seem too good to be true or that require hefty deposits upfront.

A spokesperson from Gumtree UK emphasised their commitment to user safety: “At Gumtree, the safety of our users is our absolute priority, and we do not tolerate fraudulent activity on our platform.”

The company insists on strict compliance with legal standards for property ads on their site and offers clear guidance for those seeking tenancies: “We require that property ads on our site comply with government regulations for property advertising, and we list prominent safety advice for prospective tenants on our website, which recommends that all potential tenants check the relevant paperwork, ask to see proof of ownership, and ensure a tenancy agreement is in place before paying deposits or holding fees.”

Gumtree urges users to take immediate action if they suspect a scam: “We strongly urge anyone who thinks they may have come across a scam or experiences suspicious behaviour to report it to us immediately via the ‘Report’ button listed next to all ads.”

They detailed measures for tackling such issues, enhancing user confidence: “Our dedicated trust and safety team will investigate and take necessary action, such as removing adverts and blocking offending users, and supporting law enforcement in their investigations.”

Booking.com also weighed in on efforts to safeguard customers and work with authorities: “In the very rare and unfortunate instance that a customer engages in unlawful behaviour at a property they have booked on our site, we offer support where needed and will cooperate with law enforcement as required.

“Our guest management tool also allows partners to be able to instantly report guest misconduct and when necessary we will block the responsible customer account on our platform.”