Scammer lists Tankerton beach huts on eBay without owners’ consent

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.”