Beach huts listed on eBay without owners' consent

Scammers are targeting people "desperate" to buy beach huts by offering ones they do not own on auction websites, a council has warned.

Canterbury City Council said con artists were selling huts "for thousands of pounds but still much, much cheaper than the going rate".

The BBC understands at least two huts at Tankerton Beach in Whitstable, Kent, were listed on eBay without the knowledge of their legitimate owners.

An eBay spokesperson said the company "maintains a zero-tolerance policy against fraud" and had "dedicated teams that work closely with law enforcement".

They added: "In the rare instance that one of our users is a victim of a scam, we advise them to report it immediately to their local police force, Action Fraud and eBay."

Beach hut associations at Tankerton and in neighbouring Herne Bay also urge owners and purchasers to be watchful for scams.

Kent Police said it received a report on 20 March that a beach hut in Whitstable had been broken into and listed for sale without the owner's permission.

According to the council, a scammer breaks the lock on a hut then "invites unsuspecting victims to visit them while claiming they are unable to be there".

The local authority advised buyers to "only purchase huts through agents or the beach hut associations" and to contact its team to check if a sale was genuine.

"The golden rule is if something sounds too good to be true, it generally is," said the cabinet member for coastal towns, Chris Cornell.

"We would always advise beach hut owners to be vigilant for the potential for fraudulent activity such as this and to report any concerns they have to the police as swiftly as possible."

He added: "Sadly, the main victim in scams of this type will always be the unsuspecting purchaser."

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