William Eichler 01 April 2026

Warning: Fake beach hut listings target coastal hopefuls

Warning: Fake beach hut listings target coastal hopefuls image
Tankerton, Kent © Christine Bird / Shutterstock.com.

Aspiring beach hut owners are being urged by a Kent council to exercise extreme caution as scammers target those seeking a slice of the local coastline.

Con artists have begun listing huts in Tankerton that they do not own on auction sites like eBay, often for thousands of pounds below market value, according to Canterbury City Council.

Criminals are reportedly breaking locks and inviting victims to view the huts independently, claiming they cannot attend in person.

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.’

Half a century in the chamber image

Half a century in the chamber

Cllr Dr James Walsh was elected to Arun District Council in 1975. Here he tells LocalGov what he's learned about trust, transformation and keeping it local.
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