Fake Rental Listing Scam
Scammers create fake apartment listings with stolen photos, collect deposits for properties they don't own. FBI IC3: 9,359 complaints, $174M losses in 2024.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠Price below market rate
- ⚠Landlord can't meet or show property
- ⚠Payment before viewing
- ⚠Wire transfer/Zelle/gift cards
- ⚠Landlord overseas
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →VIEW FIRST: Never pay without seeing property
- →VERIFY owner via county records
- →REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH photos
- →MEET landlord in person
More Details
- “I'm relocating and need to rent quickly”
- “Send deposit and I'll mail keys”
- “Can't show property but here are photos”
- “Wire deposit to secure it”
Common Questions
Red flags: price way below market, landlord overseas/can't show property, payment before viewing, wire/gift cards required.
High risk. Scammers copy real listings at lower prices. Never pay without seeing property in person and meeting landlord.
Hackers intercept closing emails and send fake wire instructions. Buyers wire down payments to criminals. Always verify by phone.
Search county property records. Meet in person. Never pay before viewing. Verify ID matches records.
Report This Scam
If you've encountered this scam, report it to help protect others.
Warn Someone You Know
Know someone who might fall for this? Share this warning with them.
Related Scams
Fake Check Overpayment Scam
Scammers send a check for more than agreed, then request you wire back the "extra." The check bounces days later—you owe the bank everything.
Facebook Marketplace Payment Scam
Scammers use fake payments, overpayment schemes, or shipping fraud on Marketplace. Cash and local meetup is safest.
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)