Fraudster jailed after scamming London renters out of £77,000

A man has been jailed for nearly three years after defrauding more than 30 people out of over £77,000 in a rental scam operated through Facebook, the Metropolitan police said. Frederic Priestley, 34, from Southwark, London, was sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison for fraud by false representation at Inner London crown court on Friday [1]. Between April and September last year, Priestley falsely advertised a property for rent on Facebook, providing prospective tenants with tenancy agreements and collecting deposits and rent payments for a flat he neither owned nor had the right to let [1]. The Metropolitan police received 34 separate reports from Action Fraud in September alleging Priestley did not follow through with rental agreements [1]. After receiving payments, which typically ranged between £800 and £2,000, he contacted victims with excuses including claims of deaths in the family, police said [1]. The total loss across all victims reached £77,400 [1]. Priestley was arrested in October 2025 and pleaded guilty at a hearing at Croydon magistrates court in April [1]. Croydon is a large town in South London, part of the London Borough of Croydon, and one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London [2]. The magistrates court sits within a borough that, since 1965, has formed part of Greater London after historically being part of the County of Surrey [2]. DC Abimbola Emiola, from the Met’s economic crime team, said Priestley “exploited people who were simply looking for somewhere to live, using convincing paperwork and false reassurances to make his scheme appear legitimate” [1]. Emiola added: “This was not an isolated incident, but a sustained fraud carried out over many months, affecting dozens of victims and causing significant financial and emotional distress” [1]. The officer said the sentence demonstrates that authorities “will pursue those who abuse online platforms to commit fraud” and encouraged anyone who believes they may have been a victim to report it [1]. Mobile phone analysis gathered by officers supported the investigation alongside victim statements [1].