A builder lost £400 after falling victim to a fraudulent scam in which a landlord advertised a room in a non-existent Chelmsford road.
A fraudster advertised online a property in Viewcraig Gardens in March, a street actually found in the heart of Edinburgh.
The victim sent the bogus landlord money when asked for a deposit but reported the incident on Friday to Action Fraud, a helpline run by City of London Police and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.
The advert did not include a picture of the property from the outside.
Chelmsford neighborhood inspector John Hallworth said users must be vigilant when using public advertising websites such as www.Gumtree.com
"If it was a room for rent I expect them to check and see if the room actually exists. In this case the room didn't exist.
"A sensible act on this case would be to check the actual existence of the property.
"With any online actions also use a secured by Visa and checks by financial institutions.
"If you have any doubts do not pass over any details until after that face to face meeting."
