A man who posed as a landlord to scam prospective tenants out of nearly £7,000 has been jailed.
David Russell, of Fleet Street, Swindon, has been convicted of four counts of fraud by false representation spanning from April 1, 2023 to June 18, 2024 and amounting to £6,845.
The first offence occurred between April 18, 2023 and May 4, 2023 when Russell pretended to be the landlord for 172 Paramount Buildings and asked a woman who was interested in renting the property for a deposit of £800.
He became more brazen shortly after this offence, changing tactics to scam renters out of both the deposit and the first month of rent.
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Between May 25, 2023 and June 16, 2023, he arranged to let 3 Seacole Crescent to another victim, despite not owning or managing the property.
Russell demanded a payment of £600, before asking for £1,200 to cover the first month of rent.
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Not only was he scamming renters locally, but Russell had also taken money for a flat in Kensington, starting with £1,685 for the deposit followed by another payment of £1,685 as the first rental payment.
The following year, between February 27 and March 20, 2024, Russell fraudulently tried to rent out the property at 3 Seacole Crescent again, with the victim handing him £875 thinking she was paying for her deposit to move into the address.
It is understood that he used Facebook Marketplace to entrap his victims.
He had been convicted but was set to appeal against it when he abruptly withdrew his appeal and accepted a guilty plea in November 2024.
At the time, the judge referenced Russell's previous crime in 2022 which saw him scam Facebook marketplace users out of their rent, the judge said: “The defendant is an intelligent man who frequently offends.
“He told me two years ago when I last sentenced him that he had understood and seen the light, and yet his letter he has written to me this time mirrors that."
Russell pleaded guilty to all charges on July 24, was jailed for a total of one year and six months
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