Beach Huts – A common site on Kent’s beaches – Library images
Police are warning prospective property buyers to exercise extreme caution as scammers target people looking to buy beach huts along the district’s 14-mile coastline.
The fraudulent scheme involves criminals listing huts in the Tankerton area on popular auction websites, such as eBay, despite having no legal ownership of the structures. To entice “desperate” buyers, the con artists list the properties for thousands of pounds—a price point significantly lower than the current market value.
In a sophisticated escalation of the ruse, the criminals are reportedly breaking the locks on the huts to facilitate unauthorized viewings. The scammers then invite unsuspecting victims to visit the sites independently, providing the excuse that they are unable to be present to conduct a formal tour.
Prospective buyers are being urged to verify ownership through official channels and to remain wary of “too good to be true” offers on high-demand coastal real estate.
Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Inclusion and Coastal Towns, Cllr Chris Cornell, said:
“The golden rule is if something sounds too good to be true, it generally is.
“As soon as we learned of people selling beach huts in Tankerton they do not own, we informed the beach hut owners and advised them to contact Kent Police and Report Fraud. We also notified the beach hut associations, so they could spread the word to their members.
“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. Our Foreshore team is happy to provide advice on whether a hut sale is genuine if people contact us.
“While hut owners are permitted to sell privately and via whatever method they choose, our advice to prospective buyers is to only purchase huts through agents or the beach hut associations. Sadly, the main victim in scams of this type will always be the unsuspecting purchaser.”
To contact our Foreshore team, call 01227 266719 or email beachhuts@canterbury.gov.uk. To report a scam, visit the Report Fraud website, visit the Kent Police website or call 101.