Tankerton beach hut buyer conned out of thousands in ‘ghost’ sale

Desperate would-be owners of sought-after beach cottages are falling victim to a callous scam by fraudsters posing as legitimate sellers of properties they don’t own.

Criminals are exploiting the high demand for coastal assets by cutting padlocks, breaking into huts and then offering them for sale at low prices on platforms such as eBay, promising a quick transaction.

Potential buyers are often invited to view the unlocked shed on their own, with the ‘seller’ claiming that he cannot carry out the inspection himself.

A man was reportedly scammed out of more than £5,000 after buying a ‘ghost’ beach hut in Tankerton, near Whitstable, Kent.

The fraudster allegedly claimed that he had inherited the cottage and sold it because he did not have time to use it. The victim, who paid by credit card, only discovered the scam when he tried to register his new purchase at the local council beach office.

A second potential buyer narrowly avoided a similar fate by contacting the council before handing over any money.

Authorities are now urging existing beach shack owners to be vigilant and inspect their properties for signs of tampering.

A spokesman for the Tankerton Beach Hut Owners Association said: “The fraudulent sale of the cottage to an unsuspecting victim took place by a suspect who was not the owner of the cottage, using a credit card for payment.

“The lock on the hut was probably removed by the suspect and the victim agreed to purchase the hut without consulting the Foreshore Office. This came to light when the victim tried to register the hut in his name.”

The spokesman added: “The scam could have resulted in a second victim being left with a ‘ghost’ beach hut which could be bought for a low price on eBay with cash. Luckily, the potential buyer considered contacting the council first to check whether the sale was genuine and the ‘owner’ was the only person he claimed to be.”

“Unfortunately, this is the second time this has happened in recent months and fraudsters may try again.”

Chris Cornell, Canterbury City Council’s cabinet member for economic development, inclusion and coastal cities, said: “The golden rule is that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

“As soon as we became aware of people selling beach huts in Tankerton that were not theirs, we notified beach hut owners and advised them to contact Kent Police and Report the Scam. We also notified beach hut associations so they could spread the word to their own members.”

He continued: “We always advise beach hut owners to be wary of the potential for such fraudulent activity and to report any concerns to the police as quickly as possible. “Our Foreshore team will be happy to advise on whether a hut sale is genuine if people contact us.

“Although hut owners are allowed to sell privately and through the method they choose, our advice to potential buyers is to purchase huts only through agents or beach hut associations. Unfortunately, the real victims in these types of scams will always be unsuspecting buyers.”

Kent Police confirmed they received a report that a beach hut in Whitstable was broken into on March 20 and then offered for sale without the owner’s consent.

An eBay spokesperson said: “Ensuring eBay is a safe and secure marketplace for our buyers and sellers is our top priority.

“eBay maintains a zero-tolerance policy against fraud and in the rare event that one of our users becomes the victim of a scam, we advise them to immediately report it to their local law enforcement, Action Fraud and eBay.

“We have dedicated teams that work closely with law enforcement and can investigate reported dealers and provide evidence to police when requested.”