Many people have been conned by fraudsters who take advantage of the competitive rental house market to target desperate, gullible would-be clients. Usually, they try  to rush deals, giving potential clients little time to counter-check any of the information they give them.

While it might seem like only gullible potential tenants are vulnerable to such rip-offs, some  fraudsters have caused genuine landlords grief by using their names of photos of their property without their knowledge.

Dr Ojiambo Oundo, a Nairobi-based real estate consultant, says that property fraud cases  are increasing, only that many go unreported. ­­­He notes that the most common methods the fraudsters use are selling non-existent property, using forged documents, abandoning transactions halfway and selling the same property to different clients.

For instance, the crooks advertise a property that is already occupied, get deposits  from unsuspecting clients and then vanish. Or they take pictures of someone’s property and advertise it then convince those who use  property platforms to send them money to “secure” the property before someone else takes it.

If a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably isn’t genuine, which is why Dr Oundo advises that, when buying, renting or leasing property online, insist on meeting the owner in person as well as  seeing   the legal documents showing proof of ownership.

Ask the owner a lot of questions and carefully listen to his/her answers since a genuine property owner should have all the answers at their fingertips. If you have any doubts, contact a property registry body. Only when you have counter-checked their ownership documents should you give them any money. And remember to have a written agreement with your lawyers present.

Some of the fraudsters are smooth operators, but Dr Oundo advises against making a decision to buy or lease based solely on the sales pitch. Always take time to think about the offer and also allow time for the emotional effects of the sales presentation to subside, during which period you can also research on the property.

Also, avoid sharing your anxieties of  information about your family with those  you are dealing with, as that makes you come across as desperate, which is just what they need to dictate the terms of the transaction.

While online platforms and portals have made it easier to look for property,  Dr Oundo maintains that it is important for the tenant or buyer to visit the property agents  to ascertain their existence and talk to them. Whenever someone tries to give you a “good deal”, you  should always ask yourself, “How does the property owner stand to benefit?”

Mr Simon Ng’ang’a, the managing director of real estate agent Granite Capital  Kenya concurs, noting  that the cases of property fraud  have far-reaching effects on the property industry.

He recommends that, to be safe, you  should check the company/developer’s track record to ascertain their credibility as well as their profit-and-loss statements, which should be available on request, before entering into a deal with them.

He adds that the government should intervene to protect both prospective investors and property developers from the crooks, particularly by intervening in  the formation of a scrutinising board to establish the credibility of property owners and developers before allowing them to to operate.

Some fraudsters are so polished that they can break down your defences so, should you  fall victim, you can file a complaint with the Estate Agents’ Registration Board (EARB) and also seek help from the police.