A former estate agent targeted prospective tenants – including teenage students – in a con totalling over 200,000.
Samy Daim pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to 11 counts of fraud by false representation between 2023 and 2024.
His technique was to book legitimate Airbnbs but then advertise them on Rightmove and Zoopla, claiming they were long-term rental properties.
Daim then asked for a year’s rent upfront along with a 25% deposit which he then pocketed.
He even used his own flat in London for the scam – even though his own landlord was trying to evict him for arrears.
He was eventually arrested at Heathrow while boarding a plane to Thailand. He had previously posed on social media from exotic locations he is alleged to have visited with the money he fraudulently obtained.
The amount he stole from his victims ranged from £10,730 to £19,800 – totalling £204,180. Some of the victims were as young as 18.
Media reports from the court say that Judge Silas Reid told Daim: “All of the victims suffered considerable detrimental impact and the amount of money was significant.
“Two of the victims suffered serious detrimental effects, one of them his wife was pregnant and they were left in a situation almost unable to afford food, and of course they still needed to secure accommodation.
“One was recently bereaved which meant your actions had an even greater impact. One victim suffered their hair falling out, disrupted sleep and one lost his job and had nowhere to live.”
Daim – who is French – has now been jailed for four years and four months
This article is taken from Landlord Today