Rental scammers will usually offer properties at a rate below the average in a neighborhood. They will do this to lure you into what you may think is a good deal. When this happens, a scammer will ask for a rental deposit and various other fees up front. To combat this tool, always check the average rental rate in the neighborhood you are looking to rent in. If a property is being offered well below the average, consider that it may be a scam.


A number of websites offer statistics about average rental rates.;
, Scammers will often claim they are working on behalf of other individuals that are absent for various reasons. They may claim the landlord or owner is sick, overseas, or busy. If you see this sort of story, you should immediately be concerned. When you rent property, you will be interacting with the landlord or property owner regularly, so you should never rent from someone who is too busy to interact with their tenants.


These scams will usually be followed up with a request for first and last months rent, as well as a security deposit. If you pay them, they will avoid you and run with your money., If you are the landlord or homeowner, scammers will try to reach you as well. Oftentimes, people will contact you and ask for personal information and tell you they are looking to purchase or rent your home. Their offers will usually be lucrative and well above the actual market price. In addition, a lot of these emails will be very informal and will include poor spelling and grammar.For example, a scammer may claim to want to buy your home for millions of dollars on behalf of someone overseas. However, in order to complete the purchase, you will need to send them your personal information so they can wire you the money. They may ask for your name, bank account information, address, and phone number.
 Some scammers will alter valid advertisements by changing the email address or other contact information associated with it. They will then take the advertisement and place it on a different site. In this scenario, when you go to look up the property information, it will actually be for rent. However, instead of contacting the true landlord, you will instead contact the scammer.These rental scams can be difficult to recognize and avoid. However, one sure way of protecting yourself is to always request an in-person meeting with the landlord. In addition, ask for access to the home or apartment so you can view the property. While true landlords will meet in person and offer you access, scammers will not. While they may meet you, they will not have access to the home.
 Scammers will try to lure you in with tragic stories appealing to your heart. You will often see advertisements claiming there are family issues or financial hardships that require them to rent the property.If you see one of these ads, ignore it all together. Professional landlords or property owners will never allow their personal lives to seep into their professional work.
 Before you make any payment, research the property you are looking to rent. If it is local, visit the property and have a look around. Be suspicious if the property is occupied with no sign of anyone moving out (e.g., "For Rent" signs). If you are trying to rent a property in a different state or country, hire a reputable broker to check out the property for you. While this will cost you extra money, it will help you avoid scams.


In addition, conduct online searches for the property in question. Look for other advertisements with different contact names and numbers. This could be a sign of a scam. Also, make sure the address is real to begin with. A lot of scammers will make up property addresses altogether.
 During your pre-rental process, you should always take the opportunity to meet with the landlord or individual responsible for managing the property. If you are working with a large and reputable management company, you will usually have nothing to worry about. However, if you are dealing with small organizations or with an individual, check public records to verify they are the true owner of the property in question., If you still have questions about the advertisements you are looking at or the individuals you are dealing with, take online quizzes that will help you gauge the legitimacy of your concerns. Quizzes will ask you to answer a number of questions and will then provide their opinion as whether the advertisement may be a scam. For example, rentvine will ask you the following questions:Does the price seem low for the neighborhood? If yes, it might be a scam.
Have you checked Google Street View and do the pictures in the ads match? If no, it might be a scam.
Is a free email account being used by the landlord (e.g., gmail, yahoo, or hotmail)? If yes, it might be a scam.
Is the rental listed elsewhere with different photos or contact information? If yes, it might be a scam.
Does the owner claim to have an elevated title (e.g., reverend, doctor, or missionary)? If yes, it might be a scam.
Does the owner's name match the public records? If no, it might be a scam.
Is the rental description poorly formatted? If yes, it might be a scam.
Do the photos seem off (e.g., is there a photo of a ski lodge when the rental location is said to be in Miami). If yes, it might be a scam.
 Never pay a deposit or rent without meeting your landlord first. A lot of scams will ask you to wire money online or send a check through Western Union. They will try to convince you that they are out of the country and that they need your deposit or rent money urgently. In return, they claim they will send you the keys in the mail.If you are being pressured to send money to someone you have never met, ignore their requests. Wiring money is like sending cash. Once you complete the transaction, you cannot recoup the money., Cash is difficult to trace and recover, which is why it is such a sought after form of payment for scammers. Whenever it comes time to pay a deposit or rent, always require they accept a check. When you pay with a check, you will be able to trace its whereabouts, which includes when and where it was cashed. If you do fall victim of a scam, law enforcement will have a better chance of recovering your money and finding who was responsible., If you have not been able to verify the identity of a renter, never pass along personal or sensitive information. Scammers will usually ask for information they can use to steal your identity or to help gain access to your finances. For example, some scammers may request your Social Security number or your credit reports. This information should never be sent until you are one-hundred percent sure about their motives.


In addition, never hand over your current address, account numbers, routing numbers, or any other information that could be used against you.
 The best way to avoid scams is to hire a reputable broker. Brokers will know which companies are legitimate and what properties are actually available. In addition, you can always verify that a broker is legitimate because they are required to be licensed by your state.


Some brokers will also offer insurance and will repay you for any losses if you you are the victim of a scam., Individuals who perpetrate these scams are committing federal and state crimes. Most often, these individuals can be prosecuted for federal wire fraud, which is a fraud using interstate electronic communications (e.g., emails and instant messages).Contact your local police department or visit in-person. They will be able to start a report and investigate the potential crime.
This should be the first thing you do. It is important to include law enforcement at the earliest stages so they have the best chance at finding the scammer.
 The FTC is a federal agency tasked with preventing various forms of unfair business practices and fraud. One of their tasks is to receive complaints of rental scams and report them to various law enforcement agencies.


To start the process, visit the FTC complaint website., From the complaint website, choose the category you want to file a complaint under. With rental scams, there is not specific category for you. Therefore, click on the category for "scams and rip-offs." Then, because there is no subcategory touching on rental scams, click on the link for "no match found.", The FTC website will start an interactive process where you can answer various questions regarding the scam. In general, you will provide the following:How you were contacted (e.g., by email)
Details of your complaint, including whether you were asked to pay any money and whether you did pay any money
Details about the person or organization that contacted you
Your personal information
Any additional comments you may have

, After you answer all of the required questions, you will review your complaint and click "submit." You will receive an email verifying the fact you submitted a complaint. The FTC will review your information and contact you if they need anything else.
 If you paid someone money and did not receive access to the property you were promised, you need to contact the source of the advertisement.Not only will they want to know their site or publication is being used to commit scams, they may have an insurance policy or guarantee that will allow you to recoup your losses.


Most reputable websites or listing papers will have a phone number or email address you can use to contact them. If they do, use that information. If they do not have any contact information, consider not using them at all. However, if you have, include the website or publication name in your FTC report.
Look into common rental rates.
Recognize absent landlords.
Beware of personal inquiries.
Check for altered advertisements.
Avoid sob stories.
Research addresses.
Verify the landlord's identity.
Take a rental scam quiz.
Ignore requests to wire or send money.
Avoid paying in cash.
Disregard inquiries for your personal information.
Use a reputable broker.
Report the scam to your local law enforcement agency.
Visit the FTC website.
Choose a complaint category.
Answer the required questions.
Submit your report.
Contact the website or publication where the advertisement was posted.
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