Hayley du Toit found the perfect home to rent in Cape Town on the online classified site Gumtree. But after spending R43,650 she discovered the landlady had leased it to someone else. Du Toit has recouped R10000 of the down-payment, which was made up of the deposit plus a month's rent, and she has laid a complaint with the police.With rental stock scarce in Cape Town, estate agents have advised the public to be wary of scams. And as December approaches, Gumtree has warned those looking for holiday rental homes to be cautious as well.Gumtree has compiled safety tips for people looking to rent holiday property. They include asking for additional photographs and confirming ownership of the property.Gumtree's marketing manager, Claire Cobbledick, said residential scams often involved someone posing as an agent or landlord renting out a property to which they had no connection. She said Gumtree worked with the police and would hand over useful data.Du Toit and her husband were supposed to move into the house, in Sunningdale, on September 1."[The landlady] was very nice, friendly, down to earth. People say you don't just pay the money over - if you go into the house then it is normally not a scam," said Du Toit.She had signed the lease, paid over money and was about to move in when she discovered that someone else had also signed a lease and moved in.By yesterday, the landlady had repaid R10000 and apologised. She promised to pay the rest by next month.But the landlady's ex-boyfriend, Paul Hare, claimed she was not at liberty to let the house as it was registered in a trust. Hare claimed she had failed to pay the bond for several months. He had paid the arrears and planned to take legal action against her.The landlady would not comment and neither would her lawyer.Seeff's James Lewis said internet and property fraud was on the rise...