Beautiful 2-bed, fully furnished, all bills included, €650/month. I am currently working in the UK so I can't show it in person, but my agent can hand over the keys once the deposit is received. Serious tenants only.
The photos are great, the rent is below every other listing in the area, and the landlord is very responsive - just not available to meet.
Short answer: if you can't see the inside of the property with a person who has the keys, don't pay a cent. The listing is copied from a real ad (often a sale listing on another site), the "landlord" is abroad, and the deposit goes to an account that has nothing to do with the flat. In busy cities this scam runs on every rental platform, and students and people relocating are the main targets.
The four questions that expose it
- "Can I view it in person?" Real landlords or their agents can show the property. "My agent will post the keys after the deposit" is the scam's core line.
- "Why is the rent so low?" Under-market rent is the bait. Compare with three similar listings nearby.
- "Can we do a video call inside the flat?" A scammer can't, because they've never been there. (A reverse image search of the photos often finds the original listing.)
- "Who is the deposit paid to?" A named landlord, a registered agency, or - in many countries - a deposit protection scheme. Never a friend, a "shipping company for the keys", Western Union or crypto.
Other tells
- Pressure: "three other people are interested, pay today to secure it."
- Communication moves off the platform to email or WhatsApp immediately.
- A rental contract arrives as a PDF before you've seen anything - the document looks official; that's the point.
- Airbnb version: the host asks you to pay outside Airbnb "to avoid fees". Airbnb will not protect you if you do.
What to do
- Don't pay anything before a viewing with someone who physically has the keys.
- Pay deposits by bank transfer to the landlord or agency named on the contract, never by cash-transfer services or crypto. In the UK the deposit must go into a protection scheme; in Germany a Kaution to a named account; in the US ask for the lease and the landlord's ID before any payment.
- If you already paid: contact your bank immediately, report the listing on the platform, and file a police report - you'll need it for the bank.
- Warn the platform: the same photos will be reposted next week.
Not sure? Paste it
Paste the listing text or the message into Scamed - it flags the "abroad, agent, deposit first" pattern instantly.