Scammers are cunningly using genuine images of actual properties to bait unsuspecting victims into their traps, with enticingly low prices that often seem too good to be true.

The rental market has become increasingly challenging, and according to WA Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Trish Blake, this environment is ripe for exploitation by scammers.

“There’s a significant amount of manipulation involved,” Blake commented. “Scammers often pose as allies to potential renters, portraying themselves as helpers for those struggling. They craft narratives that paint the victim as deserving and trustworthy, claiming they want to lend a hand.”

Communication exchanges reveal how these fraudsters exploit the intense competition for rental properties to their advantage.

Messages show how the scammers take advantage of the high demand for rentals.

“Due to the large number of people making offers for the apartment and which I can not attend to all.. my lawyer mandated a commitment fee to secure the apartment and filter out many people to secure it down for one person,” one message reads.

“You can have the space secured ahead of your move in date by paying a security deposit of the first week rent of $400.

“The deposit act more like a commitment fee which is fully refundable if upon physical visit you have a change of mind and it will be added to your first week rent if everything goes as planned.

“The deposit secure down the apartment for you and it will be reserved exclusively only for you.. I will stop taking offers for it and remove it from the Market.”

Blake warned renters not to hand over any money before they’d seen the property.

In 2025, at least 20 people reported a rental scam, losing $50,000, an increase of 27 per cent compared to the year before.

Median rental prices in Perth are at record highs. 

It costs $700 per week for a house and $670 to rent a unit while properties are snatched up in just 16 days. 

“People have pure desperation and people will do what they can for their family and think they’re doing the right thing and potentially dealing with unsavoury characters,” Real Estate Institute of Western Australia member Rob Mandanici said.

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