Fake rental listing scams can cost you thousands

You find a charming rental successful the close neighborhood. The terms sits somewhat beneath different homes nearby. Better yet, it becomes disposable close erstwhile your existent lease ends. Then the unit begins. Consider a Southern California renter who precocious recovered a two-bedroom bungalow adjacent family. The expected landlord said she could not circuit it due to the fact that the existent occupants had not moved out. Instead, helium sent her a nonrecreational video of the home.

The video looked convincing due to the fact that it was real. However, the scammer had copied it from an earlier spot listing. After collecting an exertion fee, the fake landlord requested a deposit done Zelle. A telephone speech helped easiness the renter's concerns. He besides promised receipts and said the deposit was refundable.

She sent much than $2,500. When she asked for the wealth back, the calls stopped and the messages went unanswered. The existent homeowner inactive lived successful the location and had ne'er offered it for rent. That acquisition shows however rapidly fake rental listing scams tin crook a hopeful determination into a fiscal crisis.

New! Free unrecorded CyberGuy class: Protect Your Money From Today’s Biggest Threats

Join america Saturday, Aug. 29, astatine 10 a.m. ET for a escaped CyberGuy LIVE class covering 5 elemental steps to assistance support yourself against AI scams, fraud, individuality theft and fiscal hacks. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson volition explicate however to acceptable up slope alerts, fortify your relationship logins, support your telephone number, frost your recognition and assistance unafraid your status savings against unauthorized transfers. No method acquisition is needed. You’ll besides person our fiscal extortion checklist, and each registrant volition get a nexus to the people signaling afterward.

Reserve your escaped spot contiguous astatine CyberGuyLive.com.

WHAT A SCAMMER SEES THE MOMENT THEY GOOGLE YOUR NAME

Scammers often transcript existent spot photos and repost them with fake interaction information. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Fake rental listing scams are spreading online

Rental scams person been astir for years. However, criminals present person much places to scope radical who request lodging quickly. Fake listings tin look connected established existent property websites. They besides circulate done Facebook, TikTok and different societal platforms with little oversight. That wider scope gives scammers entree to renters who consciousness worn down by rising prices and fierce competition. When an affordable location appears, radical whitethorn interest that taking an other time to analyse volition outgo them the opportunity. Criminals number connected that reaction.

The FBI received 12,368 existent property fraud complaints successful 2025. That was up from 9,359 complaints successful 2024. Reported losses climbed from astir $174 cardinal to much than $275 million. The FBI class covers much than fake rental advertisements. Still, the leap shows however overmuch wealth radical are losing done property-related fraud.

CyberGuy has antecedently covered however rental scams enactment and what renters should ticker for. Today's fake listings tin look adjacent much convincing due to the fact that scammers person entree to nonrecreational spot photos, video tours and AI tools.

How scammers make convincing rental ads

Many scammers bash not request to invent a property. Instead, they bargain an existing listing. They transcript the photos and spot description. They whitethorn besides download a existent property agent's video tour. Then they regenerate the interaction details and station the location connected different website oregon societal platform. When you respond, each connection goes straight to the scammer.

The Federal Trade Commission says criminals whitethorn cod exertion fees oregon deposits from respective radical earlier anyone discovers the spot was ne'er available. They whitethorn besides usage rental applications to bargain delicate accusation specified arsenic a Social Security fig oregon driver's licence image. Artificial quality tin marque the cognition look much polished. A scammer tin usage it to amended awkward messages oregon make professional-looking documents. However, galore scams inactive trust connected copied photos and a believable excuse. The FBI recorded 115 existent property fraud complaints that referenced AI during 2025. Those complaints reported astir $2.7 cardinal successful losses. That does not mean AI powered astir rental fraud. However, it shows that the exertion has go portion of immoderate existent property schemes.

FAKE BOOKING.COM TRAVEL CREDIT SCAM TARGETS TRAVELERS

A polished video circuit whitethorn travel from an aged listing and does not beryllium the sender tin rent the home. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Why fake rental listings fool astute people

Rental scammers recognize timing. You mightiness request to determination earlier schoolhouse starts. Your lease whitethorn expire soon. Perhaps you recovered a location person to enactment oregon family. When the marketplace feels competitive, waiting tin look similar losing your chance. Scammers usage that unit to support you moving forward.

First, they explicate wherefore you cannot circuit the property. Then they supply a video that appears to reply your concerns. If you question the outgo recipient, they whitethorn assertion that the idiosyncratic handles applications. Each reply sounds imaginable connected its own. A telephone telephone tin besides make mendacious confidence. Hearing a existent dependable proves that a idiosyncratic exists. It does not beryllium that the idiosyncratic owns the home. Likewise, a video proves that idiosyncratic filmed the property. It does not beryllium that your interaction tin rent it to you. The FTC warns that adjacent a virtual circuit cannot warrant that a location is available.

Warning signs of a fake rental listing

Watch intimately erstwhile the rent falls acold beneath akin homes nearby. A tiny discount whitethorn look reasonable. A bargain combined with contiguous unit deserves much scrutiny. You should besides intermission if the landlord refuses an in-person tour. Scammers often blasted existent tenants oregon an unexpected trip. They whitethorn archer you to thrust past the location instead.

Another informing appears erstwhile a listing vanishes, but the expected landlord continues contacting you privately. A scammer whitethorn assertion the advertisement attracted excessively galore applicants. In reality, the level whitethorn person removed it. Be cautious erstwhile the outgo recipient has a antithetic name. Claims involving an adjunct oregon caput necessitate autarkic verification. Finally, locomotion distant erstwhile idiosyncratic demands wealth earlier you corroborate who owns oregon manages the home. A nonrecreational video and affable speech bash not regenerate that step.

Verify the landlord, circuit the spot and reappraisal the lease earlier sending a deposit oregon accepting the keys. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Tips to debar fake rental listing scams

A small other checking tin support your moving fund and your identity.

1) Search the implicit spot address

Search the afloat code utilizing much than 1 hunt engine. Look for older income pages and progressive rental advertisements. Compare the photos, monthly rent and interaction details. If different cause oregon spot absorption institution appears, interaction it directly. Use the fig connected the company's authoritative website alternatively than 1 supplied by the idiosyncratic texting you. Also, hunt the owner's oregon spot manager's sanction with presumption specified arsenic "scam," "complaint" oregon "review." The FTC recommends this measurement erstwhile checking a rental.

2) Reverse-search the listing photos

Use Google Lens oregon different reverse-image instrumentality to spot wherever the spot photos appeared before. You whitethorn observe that the location precocious sold oregon that the images beryllium to an unrelated listing. CyberGuy's usher explains however to reverse-search an representation connected your phone. Still, uncovering lone 1 mentation of a photograph does not warrant the advertisement is legitimate. The archetypal leafage whitethorn nary longer beryllium online.

3) Tour the spot earlier paying

Visit the location and measurement wrong earlier sending an exertion interest oregon deposit. When you cannot spell yourself, inquire a trusted person to be the showing. A unrecorded video telephone tin supply much assurance than a prerecorded tour, but you should inactive verify the idiosyncratic conducting it. The FTC advises renters to support looking erstwhile a landlord insists connected collecting wealth earlier showing the property.

4) Verify the proprietor oregon spot manager

Check the region assessor's spot records for the owner's name. Keep successful caput that these records whitethorn not bespeak a precise caller sale. Then inquire the landlord for recognition and documentation showing that the idiosyncratic tin rent the property. For an flat building, telephone the leasing bureau directly. Do not usage a telephone fig from an unexpected substance oregon societal media message.

5) Contact the existent property cause independently

A scammer whitethorn usage the sanction and photograph of a existent property agent. Search for that agent's authoritative brokerage page. Then telephone the bureau fig shown determination and inquire astir the rental. Do not trust connected a illustration oregon telephone fig supplied wrong the advertisement.

6) Be cautious with outgo apps

Payment apps marque sending wealth easy. Unfortunately, an authorized outgo tin beryllium hard to reverse. Before utilizing Zelle, corroborate that the recipient is idiosyncratic you cognize and trust. Learn much astir the informing signs successful CyberGuy's usher connected however to debar getting scammed connected Zelle. Also, debar anyone who demands acquisition cards, cryptocurrency oregon a ligament transfer. Those methods springiness scammers a amended accidental of disappearing with your money. When a morganatic rental institution accepts recognition cards, that enactment whitethorn connection stronger quality protections than a peer-to-peer payment.

7) Protect your delicate information

Do not nonstop your Social Security fig oregon driver's licence until you verify the spot and landlord. Be cautious erstwhile idiosyncratic directs you to a credit-check website done a texted link. The leafage could cod your idiosyncratic accusation oregon outgo paper details. Instead, inquire which screening institution handles the application. Then find that company's authoritative website yourself.

8) Check societal media profiles closely

A polished illustration does not beryllium idiosyncratic is simply a morganatic landlord. Look astatine erstwhile the relationship was created. Review its earlier posts and cheque whether existent radical interact with it. You should besides ticker for copied illustration pictures oregon an relationship that abruptly changed names. CyberGuy's usher to protecting yourself from societal media scammers includes much ways to measure suspicious accounts.

9) Give yourself support to locomotion away

Scammers privation you to judge this rental is your lone chance. It isn’t. Walking distant from an affordable location tin consciousness frustrating, particularly aft weeks of searching. However, losing thousands of dollars could permission you incapable to unafraid the adjacent morganatic rental.

What to bash if you paid a rental scammer

If you sent wealth to a fake landlord, enactment rapidly to support your finances and amended your accidental of recovery.

• Contact your slope and outgo work immediately.
• Report the transaction arsenic fraud and inquire whether it tin beryllium stopped oregon recalled. Recovery isn’t guaranteed, but acting rapidly gives you the champion chance.
• Next, prevention each portion of evidence. Take screenshots of the listing, messages and societal media profiles. Keep outgo receipts, email addresses and telephone numbers.
• Then study the advertisement to the website oregon level wherever you recovered it. Contact section instrumentality enforcement and record a ailment online with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center astatine IC3.gov. Be definite to see the listing, messages, email addresses, telephone numbers and outgo details connected to the scam.
• The FBI encourages radical to study online scams adjacent erstwhile they are unsure whether the transgression qualifies. Reports tin assistance investigators link victims to a larger operation.
• You should besides taxable a study to the FTC astatine ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you cannot record online, telephone the FTC's Consumer Response Center astatine 1-877-382-4357.
• If you shared your Social Security fig oregon different delicate data, make a betterment program astatine IdentityTheft.gov. Review your fiscal accounts and see placing a frost with each 3 recognition bureaus. CyberGuy's step-by-step usher shows however to frost your recognition and cleanable up exposed idiosyncratic information astatine Cyberguy.com.
• Change immoderate password that you entered into a website linked to the scam. If you reused it elsewhere, update those accounts arsenic well. A password manager tin make and store a antithetic beardown password for each account.

Kurt's cardinal takeaways

Fake rental listing scams win due to the fact that criminals get existent spot advertisements and adhd a communicative that explains wherefore you cannot tour. The strongest defence is verification. Confirm who owns oregon manages the location earlier you implicit an exertion oregon nonstop money. Also, bash not fto a deadline soundlessness your instincts. A caller tin dependable affable portion utilizing stolen photos and a fake lease. When thing feels wrong, intermission and cheque the code done an autarkic source. That little hold could support your savings and your identity.

Have you ever astir fallen for a rental scam oregon spotted 1 earlier sending money? Let america cognize by penning to america astatine CyberGuy.com.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report

• Get my champion tech tips, urgent information alerts and exclusive deals delivered consecutive to your inbox.
• For simple, real-world ways to spot scams aboriginal and enactment protected, sojourn CyberGuy.com - trusted by millions who ticker CyberGuy connected TV daily.
• Plus, you'll get instant entree to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide escaped erstwhile you join.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.