The 19-year-old and her partner, Rhys Swan, 20, were scammed out of $800 that they thought they were paying as part of a bond to secure a rental property.

The couple had been looking for a house for themselves and their two children, both under the age of two, for about four months.

Ms Steadman told the Newcastle Herald they had applied for more than 80 homes.

Their frustration at constantly missing out led them to post an online advertisement in the hope someone would privately lease them a property.

The couple was told by an unknown man they had been accepted for a three-bedroom house in Valentine and just had to provide the cash as a partial-bond to obtain the keys.

It all seemed legitimate, with paperwork and photos of the property, but the man never even owned the house.

The couple lost their dough.

As it turns out, Ms Steadman and her partner are not the only people to fall for such a scam this year.

On Monday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it had received 560 reports of rental scams in 2020.

The $300,000 lost in the reported scams was an increase of 76 per cent compared with the same time last year.

Ms Steadman shared her story with the Herald last week in the hope others would not get caught out in the same way.

And with the Hunter rental market recently described by multiple real estate agents as the "most competitive" they have seen it, it would not surprise if other prospective tenants fell for such scams given the emotional-rollercoaster of trying to find a home.

But Ms Steadman's situation resonated deeply with one listener of Newcastle radio station 2NURFM, where breakfast host Todd Sergeant had last week discussed the Herald's story live on-air as part of his breakdown of the region's news.

Mr Sergeant received a call from the listener, a man who wanted to remain anonymous, who expressed interest in helping out.

A few days, and a few phone calls later, and Ms Steadman was on the receiving end of a compassionate and generous act.

Proving good Samaritans still exist, the man deposited $800 into Ms Steadman's account. No questions asked.

Having never met the couple, only heard and read their story, the man did not hesitate when asked by Topics if he was sure about the sizeable donation.

"I'm not a rich bloke," he said.

"I just don't like young people getting a kick in the guts.

"I was given some advice once which I've always tried to follow: be the reason someone smiles."

A stunned Ms Steadman said she would have loved to have known who the man was so she could "thank them personally".

"It's amazing to see that there is still kind-hearted people out there that are willing to help people in need," she said.

"Thank you, you've helped a lot.

"We're struggling with money as it is. I didn't think there were people still out there willing to help."

While you're with us, did you know the Newcastle Herald offers breaking news alerts, daily email newsletters and more? Keep up to date with all the local news - sign up here

IN THE NEWS: