In a troubling incident in Poplar, East London, 20-year-old Mide Awosika and 23 others found themselves victims of a rental scam while attempting to secure a flat ahead of their university term. Awosika and her flatmates paid a £12,000 deposit for a four-bedroom property, only to discover on moving day that multiple groups were trying to access the same flat. The property was listed on popular rental websites, and Awosika reported that the agent, Derrick Fringe, pressured them to pay quickly. Following their experience, Awosika created a WhatsApp group to connect with other affected individuals. Reports indicate a significant rise in rental fraud, with losses nearly doubling in recent years, reaching £14.5 million in 2025. Despite the involvement of major platforms like OpenRent, which stated they acted promptly to remove the fraudulent listing, the scam's impact has left many feeling vulnerable and distrustful of the rental market. The National Residential Landlord Association has urged prospective tenants to verify the legitimacy of letting agents and to avoid deals that seem too good to be true.