Technique

Rental Scam

Also known as: Housing Scam, Apartment Scam, Vacation Rental Scam, Listing Fraud, Hijacked Listing Scam, Phantom Rental, Real Estate Rental Fraud

DELIVERY

Fraudulent property listings collecting deposits or personal information for rentals the scammer doesn't control.

Common attack flows

How it fits in a scam

This technique shows up duringDELIVERY

Before

This is often where the scam begins.

After

Defense

How to defend against this

How to spot it

  • Price significantly below market rate
  • Landlord claims to be out of town and cannot show property in person
  • Requests payment via wire transfer gift cards or cryptocurrency
  • Listing photos appear on multiple sites with different contact info
  • Artificial urgency or pressure to act quickly before viewing
  • Refuses video call or in-person meeting before payment
  • Listing has grammatical errors odd formatting or MLS watermarks on stolen photos
  • For Sale sign visible at the supposedly rental property
  • Cannot verify ownership through county tax or property records
  • Requests sensitive info like SSN or bank details before lease signing

Tools you can use

Steps you can take

Further reading