Police in Britain are on the lookout for a man posing as a landlord who conned 12 different people out of over £20,000.
According to IBC.co.uk [1]:
Between September 3rd and 11th last year the suspect rented a flat in Popham Street, Islington and posed as the landlord for the property. Several people expressed an interest to rent the flat from him and handed over large deposits to secure place. However, on moving day they turned up to find the bogus landlord had made off with their deposits leaving them with no flat. Police know of 12 victims of this fraud, but believe there may be more who are yet to come forward.
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The suspect was caught on CCTV when he accompanied one prospective tenant to the bank where she withdrew £4,200 to secure the flat.
The suspect is described as an Asian man in his 30s with short black hair, short beard and dark framed glasses. He gave his name as Mustafa Bhatt, but this is likely a false identity.
Detective Inspector Rita Tierney from Islington CID said: “We have spoken to a number of concerned young adults, some from overseas who have been defrauded of their savings by this unscrupulous man and we are keen to identify him as soon as possible.
“If you are about to secure a deposit on a flat, please carry out some basic checks before you hand over your money and your identity. Advice is available here: www.actionfraud.police.uk “
Source:
[1] http://www.lbc.co.uk/bogus-landlord-cons-12-people-out-of-20k-with-one-flat-111369
