Fraud rises among housing applicants

Sometimes just a simple Google search is enough, but sometimes it is not even enough following regular procedure. Frauds continue to run rampant among Lund’s dorm-less students.

Frauds run rampat this year among those without housing. During the summer, two cases have at last come before the eyes of the sub-leasing site  Bopoolen.

“It is hard to reach them from time to time, says project leader at Bopoolen.nu Peter Fransson.

“But often, they write identical ads where all they alter are the name of the city. Fortunately, a Google search adequately confirms this disparity.”

Hard to control

Bopoolen, a site for sub-leasing of housing, has been trying to maintain control on all ads that are posted on the website.

Those who instead most often are contacted by fraudsters, are individuals who place search ads for housing that can be contacted by others.

“This is not something we can control the same way,” says Peter Fransson.

Fraud against 17

But for others, it is simply not enough to follow through with the recommended controls. For example, 17 different individuals came up against a fraud last year on the website Blocket.

“I believe that we took every step we could to prevent fraud in our case, we followed all of the recommended and necessary steps from Bopoolen and Blocket,” says Rachelle Lacharité, who was one of the affected individuals.

The imposter managed to get these individuals to, on average, place 24 000 kronor in deposits and prior leases to one apartment in Malmö, which later was found to be owned by the imposter’s ex-girlfriend.

Rachelle Lacharité, who nowadays works as the Academic Society’s communications director, says that it is nonetheless good that she had laid down so much time on precautions.

“We are now in a much better position going into the trial than if we had not,” says Lacharité.

Difficult situation

The trial for these 17 individuals begins on October 29.

“It is a difficult situation which many students, especially international students, find themselves in when they arrive,” says Rachelle Lacharité.

“But it is rarely worth the risk to pay in large sums of money in advance, and there is almost always help to find via, among other things, contacting school administrators, local students, and support systems such as Bopoolen and LU Accomodation.”

Translation: An Holmqvist