Help Aisha Overcome a Rental Scam

Hi, my name is Aisha Samat and I am a freelance contemporary dancer. I began my full time training when I was 14 at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School in Melbourne and then graduated in 2021 from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Arts Honours (Dance).

I had been freelancing as a contemporary dancer in Perth, Australia but decided in order to make my dreams come true and grow as an artist I needed to relocate to Berlin, Germany. So whilst I was freelancing, I worked 60 hours a week in a cafe and restaurant for over two years to save up the funds to make this move possible.

I knew that securing an apartment in Berlin can be quite difficult. Therefore I decided to secure a place prior to my arrival in Berlin to avoid bouncing from different short-term accommodation, which is exhausting and expensive. I didn't want to run the risk of being in Berlin for months and struggling to find long-term accomodation and therefore did this work prior.

I had secured an apartment, paid a deposit plus first months rent, and signed a contract. I felt pretty lucky to have found a place after weeks of searching but then on the 29th of April, 2024, I realised I fell victim to a rental scam. Oh how easily that feeling of luck turned into panic. I was arriving in Berlin on the 2nd of May and was supposed to be moving into this apartment. I was left financially stressed and with no place to stay in Berlin.

I am seeking this help to relieve some of the financial stress I am currently feeling due to the scam. I saved the funds to support myself through the difficult transition of moving to a new country as an artist and to prioritise my art and dreams.

I will use the money donated to find a long-term apartment and pay it's new deposit and first month rent. Any donations, sharing, or any other form of support is greatly appreciated and would help me out significantly. Thank you very much for taking the time and care to read my situation

Here's a photo of me dancing for a job I did in Perth last year!