Hunt on for conmen who tricked 50 people of 50,000

GARDAÍ are hunting two con artists after they tricked over 50 people out of almost 50,000 by falsely sub-letting houses to them.

In what were apparently separate scams, the two men received one month's rent in advance and one month's rent as deposit from 18 would-be tenants, before disappearing with their money. The 18 victims are thought to have represented around 50 people, as they paid for themselves and their other intended house-mates.

Detectives investigating one of the cases yesterday released a picture of the man they want to question in relation to the scam at a house in Portobello, Dublin 8.

The other scam occurred on Dublin's northside in Beaumont. Gardai said the men rented the properties from their owners and then in turn advertised them in the papers for rent.

They then took the rent and the deposit from each interested person The prospective tenants had thought they were giving the money over to the actual owners and were unaware every interested party was doing the same.

Gardaí said the scam in Portobello, at a house on Martin Street, was carried out by a man with a Northern accent, calling himself Kevin Strane. He had rented the house from its owner in August for a total of 3,600, including rent and deposit.

He immediately placed an advertisement in an evening newspaper and gave a mobile phone number to contact. A number of people responded and viewed the two-bedroom house. Nine people each handed over a month's rent and a month's deposit around 2,600 to secure the house. Gardai said a similar scam occurred in another house in Elmount Road, Beaumont, where another nine people handed over a similar sum to a man calling himself Phillip Downey. Altogether, gardaí estimate the 18 people handed over almost 50,000. Anyone with information in relation to the pictured suspect is asked to contact Kevin Street Station at 01-666 9400.

People can ring Clontarf Station in relation to the Beaumont scam at 01-666 4800. Alternatively they can ring the Garda Confidential Line at 1800-666-111.