US woman who relocated to Edinburgh left 'blindsided' after paying £1,300 for a flat that didn't exist
An American woman has described how she was left 'completely blindsided' after arriving in Edinburgh to find the flat she had rented online didn't exist.Olivia Ellen Homer, 29, flew to Scotland from Chicago on 6 January to begin her studies at Edinburgh Napier University. After weeks of communicating with who she thought would be a future flatmate through Facebook and Whatsapp, before being passed on to a "landlord," Olivia believed she had finally secured a pet-friendly flat for herself and her cat, Ladybug. However, to her horror, when she arrived at the address on 7 January, she discovered it was a family home, not a rental property.By the time Olivia tried to reach out to the so-called flatmate for further guidance, she had found herself blocked. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Olivia said: 'It was really disappointing, I felt very blindsided. I'm 29-years-old, I cross all my T's and dot all my I's. I'm very organised.'Olivia, who had paid £1,366 in deposit and rent for the first two months, had been in touch with the scammer since October 2024. After posting in a Facebook group for accommodation in Edinburgh, Olivia was contacted by someone who claimed to have a room available in a flat with two other flatmates. Olivia Ellen Homer, 29, flew to Scotland from Chicago on 6 January to begin her studies at Edinburgh Napier University - but was left 'blindsided' after discovering her flat didn't exist She explained: 'They said they had a room with an ensuite bathroom, it was her and another girl as the flatmates. They told me the price and all the other information. They sent a bunch of videos and pictures, and everything seemed great.'However, Olivia noted one red flag prior to paying the lump sum: the initial price quote was given in Euros. When she questioned the flatmate about it, the person explained they paid the landlord in Euros - before giving her the price in pounds.She explained that she assumed the landlord was 'accommodating' with her flatmates and their foreign accounts, and admitted not being 'super aware' of how the situation would eventually work out. After connecting with the flatmate, Olivia was informed that her details would be passed on to the landlord, who would reach out to her - but she claimed she wasn't contacted for weeks. Eventually, the landlord reached out, asking Olivia a series of 'very normal' questions, but the prospective tenant was left scratching her head after requesting whether a local friend could check out the accommodation. While the landlord assured Olivia that she wouldn't require a guarantor - only her parents' basic details - she informed her that a visitation would not be possible because there were 'tenants in the apartment' and it would 'violate' their privacy.Nonetheless, Olivia proceeded to gave her phone number, acceptance to university letter and parents information over as well as the move in date, after which she was sent the lease through her email. Olivia believed she had finally secured a pet-friendly flat for herself and her cat, Ladybug (pictured)Olivia shared the lease with her friends, who are based in Edinburgh, who confirmed looked legitimate and like 'any other lease they had seen.'Despite her doubts, the process appeared genuine enough, and Olivia soon went on to sign a lease and transfer the money. Read More Scammer dupes woman into thinking she is dating Brad Pitt, cons her into sending £697,000 In late December, Olivia got in touch with the landlord and flatmate as she had not heard from them since their initial conversation in October. She reminded them of her move in date, and asked what time was sufficient to pick up the keys, to which it was agreed she would collect them at 2pm on 7 January. After an 'exhausting' journey with Ladybug travelling from Chicago to Dublin, to Belfast and finally to Edinburgh, Olivia finally arrived in the Scottish capital, where she attempted to contact the landlord and flatmate to confirm the key pickup time. However, when she arrived at the address, the flatmates were nowhere to be found - and, to Olivia's shock, was greeted by a woman who had informed her it was family home and they do not rent to people. Olivia had been messaging both the landlord and the flatmate throughout the day to confirm her arrival in Edinburgh, but had received no response.Whilst outside the residence, she messaged the flatmate to inform her that she was outside, but when a typing bubble appeared and disappeared on their chat, it wasn't long before Olivia found herself blocked. When Olivia arrived at the address, the flatmates were nowhere to be found - and to her shock, was greeted by a woman who had informed her it was family home and they do not rent to peopleOlivia immediately reported the incident to Police Scotland, but they informed her that little could be done since the crime occurred while she was still in the US. Read More British woman reveals how she was swindled out of £120,000 as she tried to buy two-bed home in Spain after fraudsters hacked into her emails She explained that despite bein 'very helpful,' the case was out of Scottish police's hands, and was further advised to report it to US authorities.Though Olivia was left without a home, she remains determined to continue her Edinburgh adventure, and is currently staying with 'wonderful' friends in the hopes of finding an appropriate accommodation while she begins her studies. She is also sharing her experience as a cautionary tale for others, warning: 'If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. I did all my due diligence. I asked a lot of questions. The police said I did all the steps I needed to do.'Olivia further cautioned Facebook users to be aware of being messaged directly when appealing for help on a group forum. She claims 'most people will comment on the post and tell you they’ve messaged you' but the scammer had not done that as they 'didn't want their name on the post.'She added: 'As of right now, there's no guarantee that the person who committed the crime lives in the UK. It could be anyone.'
