Fraudsters use fake real estate advertisements on popular portals to lure people looking for accommodation into a trap. What can I do to expose such a scam?

As the consumer advice center reports, those looking for an apartment can hardly avoid relevant real estate portals. But here too, fraudsters try to cash in with attractive offers, advance payment fraud and other phishing methods.

Users should therefore be on their guard when it comes to dream properties that sound tempting at comparatively low prices.

This is how apartment seekers are deceived:

As a rule, the fraudsters are after private data or money and advertise non-existent fake apartments . Such an offer can sound like this, for example: “Freshly renovated 4-room apartment in a top location, including parking space for under 600 euros.”

Anyone who is currently looking for an apartment knows how difficult it can be to find “affordable” apartments and the trap is already springing shut. The housing market is becoming more and more expensive, and fraudsters are using this fact to attract victims.

The perpetrators' fraud schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated and diverse:

Advance fee fraud

A common scenario: The alleged owner contacts the apartment hunters and informs them that he is abroad and cannot come to the viewing. He offers to send the key for viewing the apartment by post or hand it over through an intermediary. You should transfer money in advance as a deposit. As soon as the transfer has been made, you will neither receive a suitable apartment key nor an answer from the alleged landlord.

Cash on delivery fee
Even if the owner sends you the apartment key first, you should not transfer any money until you have at least viewed the apartment. If the key is sent cash on delivery, you will at least be stuck with the cash on delivery fee. In addition, it does not say that the key will even fit into the door lock. Assuming the advertised property even exists.

Pre-deposit fraud
In some cases, a property will be offered to you directly for rent without you ever viewing it. A rental deposit is only due once you have actually concluded a rental agreement. If a supposed owner asks you to pay a deposit in advance, it is better to stay away from the property.

Invoice for apartment viewings
Particularly in regions where the housing shortage is particularly great, interested parties are happy about every apartment viewing to which they are invited. Some real estate fraudsters take advantage of this situation and demand money to include you in the shortlist for a fake property.

Phishing emails
In the name of real estate portals, fraudsters are increasingly sending so-called phishing emails in order to spy on the personal data of real estate portal customers. In the emails you will usually be asked to log in using your real estate portal access data via a link provided or to open an attachment provided. If you log in using the link, you will be taken to a fake login page that allows fraudsters to intercept your credentials. Attached files may also malware .

Copy of ID
Some scammers ask for a copy of your ID to send as an email attachment. You shouldn't do this: With your ID card, fraudsters can use your identity for illegal transactions.

Evidence of a fake apartment

Prices that are too low
An indication of fake real estate advertisements are unusually low purchase and rental prices. The local rent index, which the municipalities publish, provides information about how realistic a rental price is. Using these guidelines, you can better estimate the rent, especially if you are a stranger.

Alarm signal: payment in advance
Regardless of whether it is for sending the apartment key or for a viewing: As soon as you are asked to pay money in advance, you should be skeptical. Reputable agents or owners will not ask you for money before you have viewed the property.

Contradictions between images and text
Always read real estate advertisements with a healthy dose of skepticism and check the apartment advertisements for possible contradictions between images and text. This applies especially - but not only - to bargains.

Pictures like from a brochure
Many real estate fraudsters try to impress you with attractive real estate pictures like from a brochure. However, the photos are often copied from the Internet, for example from digital furniture store catalogs. You can easily expose this scam: To do this, upload the image to Google's reverse image search . After you search, you can see whether and where the image is still being used online.

Bad German and queries in English
Sentences in bad German or an accumulation of grammatical and spelling errors can be an indication of fraud objects. Since fraudsters often operate from abroad, they often use translation programs. Although these have gotten better and better in recent years, poor language quality and spelling can still make attentive readers skeptical. Another possible sign that it is a fake real estate ad is inquiries in English.

Copied ad texts
Real estate fraudsters often copy their ad texts from real, existing real estate advertisements. To check, enter parts of the text or the heading into a search engine: If a very similar ad - but with different contact details - appears on other portals, caution is advised.

Missing information
Reputable providers usually provide information about the amount of the warm and cold rent as well as the energy certificate in their advertisement. If only the rent is stated, this could be an indication of a fake apartment. Also be suspicious if there is no specific contact person or no imprint on the real estate provider's website. If a telephone number is specified, it is worth checking whether the number is actually in use.

Conspicuous emails
Do not open file attachments in emails that end in .exe - neither from supposed apartment or house providers nor from the real estate portal itself. They can come from real estate fraudsters and contain malware or Trojans. Also pay attention to the sender's email address: real estate fraudsters often use email addresses with conspicuous domains for correspondence, such as Name@billige-traumwohnung.de.

Transfers abroad
Be particularly careful when transferring money abroad! Before each transfer, check the account number (IBAN) of the payee: What country code does it start with? For example, 'DE' stands for an account in Germany, 'AT' for Austria and so on. However, if there is a country code that you were not expecting, you should not transfer any money.

I have been a victim – what can I do?

  • If you have already transferred money to a supposed landlord, immediately ask your bank reverse the payment . However, you do not have the right to have the bank reverse the transfers. The situation is different when paying by direct debit: Here you can request a refund within eight weeks.
  • Legally, it is fraud if you make payments based on a fake apartment ad. If you have fallen for a real estate fraudster, file a criminal complaint with the police. You can also do this online .
  • Also report the fraud to the affected real estate portal to protect other apartment hunters from the same fraudsters.
  • tailor-made personal help at your nearest consumer advice center .


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