Rental Scams Cost Renters $275 Million. Here Is How to Spot One

A furnished apartment at a great price. Professional photos. A landlord who is friendly, quick to reply and, unfortunately, out of town right now. You send the deposit and first month's rent to lock it in before someone else does. Then the listing disappears, the phone number stops working, and when you show up with your moving boxes, someone else lives there. This is the rental scam, and it is growing fast.

In 2025 the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 12,368 real estate fraud complaints totaling $275,110,419, according to an FBI Boston Division advisory. That is up from 9,359 complaints and about $174 million the year before. The FBI adds the caveat that matters most: actual losses are almost certainly higher, because many people never report being scammed.

Rental scams hit students, families relocating for work, older adults downsizing, and vacationers booking a beach house. They also hit landlords, through fake tenants and counterfeit checks. This guide covers every version, the warning signs, five quick checks that catch most fake listings, and what to do if you already paid.

What is a rental scam?

A rental scam is any fake rental deal designed to take your money. Most often, a scammer advertises a property they do not own or that does not exist, collects an application fee, deposit or first month's rent, and disappears. Other versions target landlords by pretending to be tenants and paying with bad checks.

Scammers post on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, rental sites, vacation rental platforms and even through social media groups. They often copy real listings, which is why the photos look so good and the details seem right.

The FTC's guide to rental listing scams describes the same core pattern we see in our readers' reports: a too good to be true price, a landlord who cannot meet, and pressure to pay fast with a payment method that cannot be undone.

How big is the problem?

Complaints and losses both climbed sharply in 2025 after two quieter years. In the FBI's Boston Division alone, covering Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, 490 victims reported $2,629,447 in losses.

The IC3 counts rental, timeshare and real estate investment fraud in one category, so not every case is a fake apartment listing. The direction is still clear, and rental scams are a large part of it.

Version one: the fake listing

The scammer copies photos and details from a real listing and reposts them elsewhere, usually at a lower price. They pose as the landlord or property manager.

Then comes the reason they cannot meet you. They are working overseas, serving in the military, caring for a sick relative or managing the property remotely. They may offer to mail you the keys after you pay, or send a code for a lockbox.

Next comes the pressure. Several other people have asked about it, so the deposit needs to go today. Once the money is sent, the listing disappears, and so does the contact.

Version two: the hijacked or "for sale" home

Scammers find homes listed for sale or recently sold, copy the photos, and advertise them as rentals. Some go further and change the lockbox code or tell you the house is empty and you can look through the windows. Victims sometimes even move in before the real owner or agent discovers them.

A related trick uses real rental properties with self guided tours. The scammer gives you the real tour link, then asks you to pay them directly instead of through the property manager's official portal. Always pay through the property's official channel, confirmed independently.

Version three: the vacation rental scam

Beach houses, ski cabins and city apartments for holidays are favorite targets because people book from far away and rarely see the property first. The scammer posts on social media or a classifieds site, or contacts you after you inquire on a real platform and asks to move the conversation and payment off the platform "to avoid fees."

In one case cited by the FBI, friends arranging a holiday rental in York, Maine, exchanged texts and emails with someone they believed owned the property and wired $8,848 to reserve it. There was no booking.

The rule is simple: book and pay only inside the platform you found the listing on, or through a property manager you have verified separately. Any request to pay outside the platform is a red flag.

Version four: the fake tenant (for landlords)

Many landlords have never heard of this side of the rental scam. Someone applies, agrees to the rent without negotiating, and sends a check. It is either the exact amount or deliberately too much. If it is overpaid, they apologize and ask you to wire back the difference. If it is exact, they cancel a few days later and ask for an urgent refund.

The check is counterfeit. Banks often make funds available before a check clears, so the balance looks real. When it bounces days later, the bank takes back the full amount, and the landlord has already sent their own money away.

The rule that prevents this: never refund any part of a payment until the original has fully cleared, and ask your bank to confirm clearance in those words. Available is not cleared.

A typical case, start to finish

This example follows the patterns described by the FBI, the FTC and our readers' reports. The details are typical rather than taken from one single victim.

A nurse relocating to Phoenix finds a two bedroom house on a classifieds site for $1,350 a month, about $500 below similar homes. She emails and gets a warm reply from the "owner," who says he took a job in another state and just wants a responsible tenant. He sends a rental application asking for her Social Security number, driver's license and employer details.

When she asks to see the house, he says he cannot fly back but she can drive by and look at the outside. The house is real and looks just like the photos. He says two other applicants are ready to pay, so if she wants it she should send the $1,350 deposit and first month's rent by Zelle today. He will mail the keys overnight.

She sends $2,700. The keys never arrive. When she drives back, a real estate sign is in the yard. The house is for sale, the real owner has never heard of her, and the scammer now has her personal information too.

Why careful renters still fall for it

The housing market is tight. When good rentals disappear in hours, renters feel they must decide fast.

The photos are real. Copied from genuine listings, they show a real home, so driving by can make the scam seem more believable.

The landlord is nice. Scammers are patient, polite and quick to answer questions, which builds trust.

The excuse sounds normal. People really do move for work or military service and rent out their homes.

Distance. People moving from another city cannot easily visit before signing.

Who rental scammers target most

Anyone can be hit, but some groups see these scams far more often because of their situation.

College students and young renters

Students often search for housing from out of state, on tight budgets and tight deadlines before a semester starts. Scammers post near campuses in late spring and summer, and in student Facebook groups. Many students have never signed a lease before, so they may not know what a normal process looks like. Parents can help by checking property records and joining any video tour.

People relocating for work

Workers moving across the country, travel nurses and new hires often need housing fast and cannot visit first. They are exactly the people who will accept "I cannot meet you, but I will mail the keys." If your employer offers relocation help, use the property managers or services they recommend.

Military families

Service members receiving orders are targeted with listings near bases, sometimes by scammers claiming to be fellow service members deployed overseas. Base housing offices keep lists of known scams and can help verify landlords. The Military Consumer resources from the FTC also cover rental fraud.

Older adults downsizing

Seniors moving to smaller homes, or to be closer to family, are targeted with listings for patio homes and 55 plus communities. Many are comfortable with checks and phone calls but less familiar with reverse image searches. Family members can run the five checks below before any deposit is paid.

Renters using housing assistance

People using housing vouchers are sometimes approached by fake landlords who promise to "speed up" approval for a fee or claim a unit is pre-approved. Real voucher programs work through your local housing authority, and approvals do not depend on cash payments to a landlord.

Vacation travelers

Families booking holiday homes are targeted in the months before summer and winter holidays. The safest approach is to book through a well known platform and keep all payment and messages on that platform.

What a legitimate rental process looks like

Knowing the normal steps makes any scam stand out. A real rental usually goes like this:

1. You find a listing and contact the landlord or property manager, who answers questions and offers a showing time.
2. You tour the property in person, or by live video with someone who can open doors, turn on lights and show the view from the windows on request.
3. You fill out an application, often through a tenant screening service, and pay a modest fee.
4. The landlord runs a credit and background check and may ask for references or proof of income.
5. You receive a written lease that names the owner or management company and lists the rent, deposit, dates and rules.
6. You sign the lease, then pay the deposit and first month's rent by check, card or official portal, and get a receipt.
7. You receive keys in person, from a leasing office or an agent, on move in day.

If any step is skipped, rushed or reversed, especially paying before seeing the property or signing a lease, slow down and verify before sending money.

It is also smart to take dated photos or video of the unit on move in day, keep a copy of the signed lease, and know your state's rules on security deposit limits and return deadlines. Your state attorney general's website usually has a tenant rights guide.

Red flags for renters

• Rent 20 percent or more below similar places nearby. The price is the bait, not a bargain.
• The landlord cannot meet you or show the property. Every excuse in this category is the same excuse.
• Pressure to pay because others are interested. Urgency exists to stop you checking.
• Payment by wire, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, gift card or crypto. These cannot be reversed.
• The same photos appear on several sites with different contacts or prices.
• An application form asking for your Social Security number before you have met anyone.
• A request to move off the rental platform to talk or pay.
• Keys will be mailed after you pay, or a lockbox code is sent by text.
• No lease, or a lease that looks copied from a template with errors.

Red flags for landlords

• A tenant willing to rent without seeing the property.
• A check for more than the agreed amount, with any explanation.
• A request to wire money to a third party or an overseas account.
• A deal that cancels quickly, followed by urgency about the refund.
• Applicants who avoid phone or video calls and only communicate by text or email.

Real listing vs rental scam

Five checks that take about five minutes

1. Reverse image search the photos. Right click a photo and search with Google or Bing images. If the same rooms appear in a listing in another city, or on a for sale listing, you have your answer.
2. Look up who owns the property. County or town property records are public and usually online. The FBI recommends this step specifically. If the owner's name does not match your contact, stop.
3. Compare the rent. Check two or three similar listings in the same neighborhood. A big gap is a warning.
4. Search the address and the landlord's name with words like "scam" or "fraud."
5. Check the phone number. Look it up in our free robocall checker to see if others have reported it.

Ten questions to ask before you pay anything

Real landlords and property managers answer these easily. Scammers dodge them, change the subject or push for payment. Ask them by phone or video, not just by text.

1. Can I see the inside of the property this week, in person or on a live video call where you show me specific rooms I ask for?
2. What is the full name of the owner, and does it match the county property records?
3. Is the property managed by a company? If so, what is its name, website and license number?
4. Can you send a copy of the lease before I pay? Read it for the owner's name, address and terms.
5. How do you accept payment? Be wary of anything other than check, card or an official portal.
6. When and how will I receive the keys? Mailed keys are a warning sign.
7. Who handles repairs and emergencies? Real landlords have a clear answer.
8. Why is the rent lower than similar homes nearby? Listen for vague or emotional answers.
9. Can I speak with a current or past tenant, or a neighbor?
10. Is the home currently listed for sale? Then check yourself on real estate sites.

Write down the answers and compare them with what you find in public records. If anything does not match, do not send money. A real landlord will understand that you want to be careful. A scammer will get impatient, and that impatience is your answer.

How to pay a deposit safely

• Pay only after you have seen the property and signed a written lease.
• Use a credit card or a check, which leave a record and can sometimes be disputed.
• For apartment communities, pay through the official resident portal, reached by typing the property's real website yourself.
• Get a receipt for every payment.
• Be cautious with application fees. Legitimate fees are usually modest and paid through a tenant screening service, not a personal payment app.
• Do not give your Social Security number until you have verified the landlord or property manager.

Already paid a deposit? Do this now

1. Contact your bank or payment app immediately and report the payment as fraud. Ask whether it can be stopped or reversed.
2. If you paid by card, dispute the charge with your card issuer.
3. If you used a gift card, call the card company with the card numbers.
4. Save everything: the listing, screenshots, emails, texts, phone numbers and payment receipts.
5. Report the listing to the website or platform where it appeared.
6. Report to the FBI at IC3.gov and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
7. If you shared your Social Security number, place a credit freeze and visit IdentityTheft.gov.
8. File a local police report, especially if you need it for your bank or for emergency housing help.

Our guide to the first 48 hours after a scam walks through what to say to your bank, and our fraud help resources page lists official contacts.

The follow up scam

Rental scam victims who post about their loss online are sometimes contacted by "recovery agents" or fake lawyers offering to get the deposit back for a fee. Others receive calls from someone claiming to be the police or the FBI asking for a processing fee. These are second scams. Read our guide to recovery scams that target past victims to learn the signs.

Scammers also run fake listings through social media ads. Our guide on how to check social media ads explains how to spot them.

Frequently asked questions

How we researched this article

This guide is based on FBI IC3 data shared in an FBI Boston Division advisory, FTC guidance on rental listing scams, and scam reports from our readers. Every statistic links to its original source. We do not accept payment from any company mentioned here. If you spot an error, please email [email protected] and we will review it under our fact checking policy.

This article is for general consumer education and is not legal or financial advice. Tenant and landlord laws vary by state.