A fake landlord has been convicted of fraud after booking Airbnbs and selling them on as long-term rentals.
Samy Daim would advertise the properties on Rightmove and Zoopla, asking for a year’s rent upfront along with a 25% deposit.
He also used his own London flat to carry out the scam while his landlord was trying to evict him for failing to pay the rent.
Daim stole £10,730 to £19,800 per person, while his victims included teenage students as young as 18.
After making over £200,000 from the grift, as well as posting pictures from exotic locations on social media, he was arrested at Heathrow when boarding a plane to Thailand.
Media reports from the court say that Judge Silas Reid told Daim: “All of the victims suffered considerable detrimental impact and the amount of money was significant.
“Two of the victims suffered serious detrimental effects, one of them his wife was pregnant and they were left in a situation almost unable to afford food, and of course they still needed to secure accommodation.
“One was recently bereaved which meant your actions had an even greater impact. One victim suffered their hair falling out, disrupted sleep and one lost his job and had nowhere to live.”
Daim, who is French, pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to 11 counts of fraud by false representation between 2023 and 2024.
He was jailed for four years and four months.