Online fraudsters offering a bogus rental property yesterday sparked a warning from police.

A police spokeswoman said officers were alerted to an advert which appeared on a local online classified site

He added: “The alleged contact person for the fraudulent posting, a Dr Jonathan Moore, said that two months’ rent plus security deposit for the apartment should be sent via wire transfer to a specific overseas account.”

“However, once the transaction was completed, no further contact could be made with the individual supposedly offering the apartment for rent.”

The spokesman warned the public to be “extremely vigilant” about internet advertisements, particularly when responding to requests for money using free e-mail addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail.

He said: “Many of the local websites carrying classified advertisements already display a warning message on their homepage in relation to these types of scams.”

The spokesman added that anyone affected by the latest scam or any other kind of fraud should contact police.