An American student was left shocked after discovering her Edinburgh flat was a scam
Edinburgh: An American woman was left in disbelief when she arrived in the city only to find out that the flat she had rented didn’t exist. Olivia Ellen Homer, 29, had flown in from Chicago with her cat, Ladybug, ready to start her new life as a student at Napier University.
She thought she had everything sorted out. After paying £1,366 for a deposit and two months’ rent, she was excited to pick up the keys. But when she got to the address, it turned out to be a family home, and they didn’t rent out any rooms.
Olivia had found the flat through social media, chatting with someone she believed was her future roommate. But when she tried to reach out for confirmation, they blocked her. It was a total shock.
Police Scotland were helpful but explained that since the scam happened while she was still in the US, there wasn’t much they could do. They advised her to contact authorities back home.
Olivia wants to warn others about the dangers of online housing searches. She learned the hard way that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. She had been looking for pet-friendly places and thought she had found a gem.
She shared that her first red flag was when the person quoted the rent in Euros. But the explanation seemed reasonable at the time. After all, she was new to the UK rental scene.
Despite the disappointment, Olivia is grateful for the support from friends in Edinburgh. She’s not giving up on her adventure and is determined to find a new place. She just wants everyone to be cautious when searching for accommodation online.
