In February 2020, Andrew Smith took on the tenancy of a property, having claimed that he had moved to the area for work.
However, less than two weeks after taking on the tenancy of his three bedroom property, Smith put the house up for sale online using a fake estate agency website.
Cambridge Police said the ‘brazen crime’ was only discovered when a potential buyer organised a property survey at the home in Argyle Street, Cambridge.
The buyer had agreed a purchase price in excess of £400,000 for the property and visited the house in June for a drain survey. It was then that he discovered from neighbours that the house was tenanted and unlikely to be for sale.
The buyer contacted the letting agent and the police. It was found that many of the documents provided to support the tenancy were fraudulent and that he had made payments to a furniture rental company which usually supplied furniture for show homes.
Smith was arrested for fraud by false representation and entering into money laundering.
The fraudster admitted the charges and was sentenced at Brighton Magistrates Court to two years and six months in prison.
Detective Constable Dan Harper said: “This is an almost unbelievable and truly brazen crime, which saw an innocent buyer almost part with more than £400,000 for a property that was never for sale in the first place. The investigation has been long and detailed, and we have worked tirelessly to make sure justice has been served.”
Title Fraud
Although the police described this case as “almost unbelievable”, the number of cases of title fraud is increasing in the UK.
Recording a Property Alert with Land Registry can help to protect you from title fraud. The free service sends an email alert whenever ‘significant activity’ (such as an application to change the register) takes place on the property you are monitoring.