Olivia Ellen Homer was left 'completely blindsided,' when she arrived to the capital on January 6 ahead of starting a course at Napier University.
An American woman was left stunned when she arrived to Edinburgh to find the flat she was moving into never existed.
While Police Scotland were 'very helpful', Olivia was told there was little they could do as the crime was actually committed while she was still in the US. She's been advised to contact authorities back in Chicago. “I’ve lived all over the US - Florida, Chicago, Atlanta - so I’m very upfront about things and tell people I’m a student with an animal, and give all the details. Somebody reached out to me through Facebook messenger after I’d posted in a group.
“I thought maybe the landlord is very accommodating with the girls and their foreign accounts. I wasn’t super aware of how the situation would work. They sent a bunch of videos and pictures, and everything seemed great. They were fine about my cat as well.” “She asked me for a lot of things that were very normal. I then asked if I could have a friend of mine who lives in Edinburgh come and view the unit, and if I need a guarantor.
She sent it on to friends who live in Edinburgh, who said it looked legitimate and like ‘any other lease they had seen’. She signed it, and then sent over the deposit and first two months rent. She continued: “We agreed 2pm on January 7. That’s the day after I was set to arrive, which gave me time to get set up in my hotel and get the cat organised. I had a few days booked on the hotel which gave me a transition time.
Olivia added: “I messaged the girl from Facebook asking if she had moved in, saying that I was at the residence.“After about ten minutes, we started putting the dots together. I messaged the girl again saying ‘if this is a scam, please let me know so I can find other housing’. A few minutes later she blocked me.”
"I have a pretty good compass. I did all my due diligence, and they answered all the questions I had. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
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