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Rental scams: how to spot a fake listing or fake landlord

How rental listing scams work, the signs of a fake landlord, how to check who owns a property, and what to do if you paid a deposit to a scammer.

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A great place at a good price, a landlord who can’t meet, and a request for a deposit before you’ve seen it: that’s the shape of most rental scams. Here’s how to check a listing.

How rental scams work

The FTC describes two main types (FTC):

  1. Hijacked listings. Scammers copy a real ad and replace the agent’s contact details with their own, so you end up talking to them.
  2. Fake listings. Ads for places that aren’t for rent or don’t exist, often with low rent and an owner who can’t show the property.

Either way, the goal is your money (an application fee, deposit or first month’s rent) or your personal details for identity theft.

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Warning signs

  • Rent well below similar places nearby.
  • The owner is “out of the country” or can’t show the property.
  • Pressure to decide and pay quickly.
  • Payment only by wire transfer, gift card or crypto (FTC).
  • A request for your Social Security number or ID before you’ve agreed to rent.
  • The same home also listed for sale, or listed elsewhere under another name.

How to check a listing

  1. Search the address with the owner or company name. Different names on other ads for the same address is a warning sign (FTC).
  2. Check the company’s own website to see if the property is listed there.
  3. Run the listing photos through the photo check above, or read our guide to reverse image searching (the same method works for property photos).
  4. For a private landlord, look up the owner on the city or county tax assessment website and check that their ID matches (FTC).
  5. Visit in person or ask someone you trust to go. Note that self-guided tours can also be faked.
  6. For a holiday rental, get the contract before paying anything and confirm the address exists.

If you already paid

  1. Contact the bank, card issuer, payment app or wire company you used and ask them to reverse the payment (FTC).
  2. If you sent ID or your Social Security number, follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov.
  3. Report the ad to the site it was posted on.

Where to report

Buying or selling second-hand? See our Facebook Marketplace scams guide.

Questions

How do rental scammers get real photos?

The FTC says they often copy the photos, description or virtual tour from a genuine listing and swap in their own contact details.

The landlord says they’re overseas. Is that a red flag?

It’s a common excuse for not showing the property, especially when paired with pressure to pay a deposit before you’ve seen it.

Should I send my credit score to a landlord?

The FTC says most landlords pull your credit themselves. Being asked to send screenshots of your score can be a way to sign you up for paid credit monitoring.

I paid a deposit. Can I get it back?

Contact the bank, card issuer or payment app you used and ask them to reverse it. Card payments usually have more protection than wires, gift cards or crypto.

Want to check the listing photos?

Run the photos through the photo check above to see if they appear elsewhere. ImposterWatch Personal (US$9/month, cancel anytime) adds AI-powered checks, breach alerts for up to three email addresses and account recovery help.

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General information only, not legal or financial advice. ImposterWatch is operated by Cloud Investments FZE (UAE) and is not a background check or private investigator service.