A rental scam is a fake or copied listing used to collect an application fee, a deposit or the first month’s rent for a home the “landlord” can’t rent to you. Most share the same warning signs: rent well below similar places, an owner who can’t meet you, and pressure to pay before you’ve seen the inside. The surest way to avoid rental scams is to verify the landlord before you pay anything. Confirm who owns the property in the county’s records, check that the name matches the person and their ID, tour the unit with someone who controls it, and pay only in a way you can trace.
Already sent money? Skip to what to do if you already paid, and call your bank or payment app first.
People told the FTC about nearly 65,000 rental scams from January 2020 through June 2025, with about $65 million in losses and a median loss of $1,000, according to the FTC’s December 2025 data spotlight. In the last 12 months of that period, about half of the people who reported one said it began with a fake Facebook ad, and 16% with a fake Craigslist listing. People aged 18 to 29 were three times more likely than other adults to report losing money, and the FTC says the numbers likely capture only a fraction of the harm.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) counted 12,368 real estate fraud complaints and $275.1 million in reported losses in 2025, up from 9,359 complaints and $173.6 million in 2024, according to its 2025 Internet Crime Report. That category also covers real estate investment and timeshare fraud, so it isn’t a count of rental scams alone.
How rental scams work
Apartment rental scams and house rental scams follow the same few setups.
Hijacked listings. The scammer copies a real listing’s photos and description, swaps in their own phone number or email and reposts it, often at a lower rent. Sometimes the home was really for sale, not for rent. The FBI’s Boston field office also warns of scammers using a real broker’s name in a fake email address.
Phantom rentals. The listing is made up from scratch: a place that isn’t for rent or doesn’t exist, with attractive photos, a low price and an easy move-in.
The identity grab. Some fake landlords ask for your Social Security number, a photo of your driver’s license and pay stubs before you’ve seen anything. Others send you to a site to buy your own credit check, often for $1, which can sign you up for a membership with recurring fees. Real landlords normally run the credit check themselves, the FTC notes.
Rental scam red flags
Here’s how to spot a rental scam. One sign is a reason to slow down and verify; two or more, and don’t pay anything until the landlord checks out.
- Rent well below similar places nearby.
- Money before a showing or a lease, such as a deposit or first month’s rent to “hold” the place.
- Payment by wire, gift card, crypto or a payment app. The FTC compares the first three to sending cash.
- An owner who can’t meet you because they’re overseas or busy, and offers to mail the keys. Here’s why that story works.
- A lockbox code instead of a showing.
- A rush. Other applicants are “lined up,” or you have 24 hours to commit.
- The same address elsewhere at another price, with another contact or listed for sale.
- Requests for your Social Security number or ID before you’ve toured or applied, or a link to buy your own credit check.
- A name, phone number or email that doesn’t match the owner of record or the company they claim to represent.
- A request for a code sent to your phone, which Zillow and Craigslist both treat as a scam.
If the “landlord” moves you to text, WhatsApp or Telegram, see how to identify a scammer on those apps, and text message scams for code requests and links sent by text.
Rental scams on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and Zillow
The scripts are the same everywhere; what differs is what each site tells you and where you report a fake listing.
| Where you found it | Watch for | Worth knowing | Report it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Marketplace, groups and ads | A poster with no visible tie to the property, a deposit before any showing, a quick move to text | The most common starting point: about half of the FTC’s rental-scam reports in the year to June 2025 | The report option on the listing, post or profile; then the FTC |
| Craigslist | Wire requests, an “owner” who can’t meet, keys by mail, code requests | Craigslist’s rule: deal locally, face to face. It calls requests to wire money or share a code scams | Flag the post; Craigslist also points to the FTC, IC3 and your state attorney general |
| Zillow | A contact who can’t meet, wants a wire or asks for a code texted to your phone | Zillow says not to wire money to anyone you haven’t met in person | Report Listing, then “Listing seems to be fraudulent or illegal” |
| Apartments.com and other listing sites | A landlord abroad who must rent fast, a 24-hour deadline, a lockbox code instead of a showing | Apartments.com says it doesn’t take part in rental deals and can’t refund money lost to a scam | Mark the listing suspicious; report to IC3 and the FTC |
So don’t count on a listing site to get your money back. Furnishing the new place from the same sites? The habits in how to avoid marketplace scams and our steps to verify an online seller apply there too.
How to verify a landlord before you pay
Photos, descriptions and even tours can be copied. What a scammer can’t easily fake is a match between who owns the property on paper, the person you’re dealing with and the ID they show you. Work through these steps in order, and don’t pay until they line up.
- Get the address and the landlord’s full name in writing, plus the management company’s name if there is one. Someone who won’t share the exact address before you pay has told you enough.
- Look up the owner of record. Check who owns the property in public property records, as the FTC, the FBI and North Carolina’s Department of Justice all advise. The FTC suggests the city or county tax assessment website, and the county recorder keeps the deeds. Some counties keep these records offline: Los Angeles County’s Registrar-Recorder shows them only in person, by appointment. If you can’t search online, ask the county office how.
- Match the name to the person and their ID. The owner of record, the person advertising the rental and their photo ID should all agree, as the FTC and North Carolina’s Department of Justice advise. If an LLC owns it, look the company up in your state’s business entity search and ask how the person is connected. If they say they manage it, call the management company at a number you find yourself to confirm they work there and the unit is theirs to rent.
- Check the license of any agent, broker or property manager with your state’s real estate regulator, such as California’s Verify a License lookup or New York’s eAccessNY license search. Scammers copy real agents’ names, license numbers and photos, so California’s regulator says to find the licensee’s phone number on your own and call to confirm they contacted you.
- See the inside with someone who controls it. Tour it with the owner or manager, or send someone you trust. Otherwise, ask for a live video tour you direct: start outside at the house number, open a closet you pick, show the view from a window you name. A recorded video or a lockbox code isn’t a showing.
- Pay only by a traceable method, to the name on the lease. Once the lease names the owner or their manager, pay by card, ACH or the manager’s payment portal, as Zillow advises. Never wire money, buy gift cards, send crypto or use a payment app to pay someone you haven’t verified; Zelle, for one, lets you cancel a payment only if the recipient hasn’t enrolled.
Where a name search fits. With the owner’s full name from the county record, a name search can show whether the places connected to that name include the area. It’s a consistency check, not proof of ownership. See how to match a record to the right person and where property and court records are kept.
Reading the owner record. The lookup rarely gives a plain yes or no, so here’s what each result calls for.
| What you find | What it can mean | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| The name matches the person and their ID | A good sign, not the finish line | Still tour the unit, and pay traceably to the name on the lease |
| An LLC or other company owns it | Not a red flag by itself | Check the company in your state’s business entity search, and confirm the person’s role at a number you find yourself |
| A tenant is subletting or renting out a room | Their name won’t be on the owner record | See their lease and confirm with the landlord that subletting is allowed; our questions to ask a potential roommate cover the rest |
| Someone else owns it, and the “landlord” says they just bought it | Possible, but easy to claim | Find the recorded deed yourself in the county recorder’s index |
| Someone else owns it, with no explanation | The classic sign of a hijacked or invented listing | Stop, alert the real owner or agent through details you find yourself, and report the listing |
Why “I’m out of the country” and self-tour stories work
The fake landlord scam leans on two stories built to remove the checks renters rely on most: meeting the landlord and seeing the inside with them. The FTC says the fake owner will usually claim to be out of the country, and Apartments.com flags the landlord who just got a job assignment abroad and must rent right away. Distance explains why you can’t meet, makes paying remotely seem normal and makes the rush feel reasonable. Keys by mail sound like a favor, but they mean you pay first.
The self-tour version is more convincing because it gives you something real: the home exists, the code works and the rooms match the photos. But a working code shows only that someone got the code, not that they can rent you the home. The FTC says scammers copy listings from landlords who use self-tour services, and North Carolina’s Department of Justice warns they may even give you the correct access code.
The counter to both: ownership and identity first, tour second. An owner who really is abroad can name a local agent or manager to show you the unit. If the only person on offer is the one asking for money, and they don’t match the owner of record, walk away.
Already paid a fake landlord? What to do now
Act fast, in this order: stop the money, protect your identity, then report. First save the listing, the messages, the receipt and every phone number and email the scammer used.
- Stop contact and don’t send more. The FBI advises cutting off contact right away. Ignore any fee to “release” the keys or refund your deposit.
- Call whoever moved the money. Contact your card issuer, bank, payment app, wire service, gift card company or crypto exchange and ask them to reverse the payment. The FTC lists what to ask for with each payment method.
- Protect your identity if you shared documents. If you gave out your Social Security number or a copy of your ID, get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov and consider a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If you joined a “credit check” site, cancel the membership.
- Report it. Report the listing to the site where you found it, then to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FBI at ic3.gov, your state attorney general and local police.
- Warn the real owner or agent. If the listing was a copy, tell them through contact details you find yourself, so they can get the fake taken down.
If you’re a landlord: scams that target owners
Landlord scams run both ways. If your home is listed for rent or sale, search its address on the big listing sites now and then for copies with someone else’s contact details, and report them. The FBI’s Boston office also describes a “renter” who overpays the deposit by check and asks for the difference back; the bank may release the money before the check turns out to be counterfeit, and you’re held responsible for the loss.
To screen applicants, use a tenant screening company that follows the Fair Credit Reporting Act and gives the required notices. Recordwell isn’t a consumer reporting agency, so its reports can’t be used to decide on a tenant; our FCRA page explains why. If scammers are reusing your name or listing, you can see what a stranger finds under your name for free.
Common questions about rental scams
How can you tell if a rental listing is a scam?
Watch what they ask for and when. Below-market rent, an owner who can’t meet, a lockbox code instead of a showing and a request for money before you’ve toured or signed a lease are the classic signs.
How do I check if a landlord is legit?
Look up the owner of record on the county assessor’s or recorder’s website and make sure the name matches the person and their photo ID. Check any agent’s license with your state, tour the unit with the owner or manager, and pay by a traceable method.
Are rentals on Zillow and Facebook Marketplace safe?
They can be, but a listing on a big site doesn’t prove the poster can rent you the home, because scammers copy real listings. Wherever you found the place, check the owner of record, see the inside with the owner or manager, and pay by a traceable method.
Is it safe to pay a rental deposit with Zelle, Cash App or Venmo?
Not to someone you haven’t verified. Payments you send through these apps are hard to reverse; Zelle says a payment can be canceled only if the recipient hasn’t enrolled. After you’ve verified the landlord and signed a lease, a card, ACH or the manager’s portal is safer.
Can I get my money back after a rental scam?
Sometimes, if you act fast. Ask your card issuer, bank, payment app or wire service to reverse the payment right away; card charges can often be disputed, while wires, gift cards and crypto rarely come back. Report it to the FTC, the FBI’s IC3 and your state attorney general.