Can I give you £16,000?

According to a story in the Metro this morning, this is a question that some students are being asked by organised crime gangs. Apparently the criminals are targetting students, especially foreign nationals, and asking them to pay fraudulent cheques for large sums of money into their accounts. The student is promised that they will receive some of the cash for their involvement and are being told that they won't get caught even though it is a criminal act.

However, it appears that when things go wrong, the criminals will then expect the student to pay them their larger share of the money even if the cheque doesn't clear.

We would strongly advise all of our tenants to be aware of this scam and contact Lothian and Borders Police if they are approached by these gangs.