- Be cautious when paying a deposit or transferring the entire rental fee upfront.
Prospective tenants from outside the province or city may want to secure a reservation to avoid missing out. However, scammers can take advantage of this.
For instance, scammers may use tricks like, “Sorry, only one room left; you can pay a deposit now to secure it.” This is often the modus operandi of the actual property owner, ensuring genuine interest from potential tenants.
Victims often don’t realize they are communicating with scammers via text messages or phone calls.
- If required to pay a deposit, transfer only 10 or 20 percent of the total cost.
Paying a smaller amount can minimize losses in case of fraud. For example, if the monthly rental cost is one million, losing 100 thousand is better than losing 500 thousand. Most landlords are usually willing to accept a deposit before moving in.
- Receipts can be made without the victim’s signature.
Scammers may pretend to be responsible for managing the rental property. They can create a receipt without the victim’s signature after the money is transferred and send it via text.
Victims should be cautious, as the receipt is only valid if signed by both the giver and receiver, and the victim’s signature is often omitted. Market receipts and 10,000-stamp can be purchased by anyone.
- Check the compatibility of property photos with the help of an application.
Scammers may use photos of the actual property. Check for similar photos by examining the poster’s profession. Some rental offers may come from sales or marketing professionals seeking commissions through social media.
- Compare prices with the average based on provided facilities.
If the price is too low, don’t immediately be enticed to transfer money. Beware of scammers trying to prompt quick decisions to secure money transfers.
- Observe account photos and other identities on social media.
Scammer accounts usually have few personal or family photos, as their focus is on criminal activities. Used photos may also be taken from the internet. Pay attention to account numbers and names, and test their authenticity by sending money to those numbers.
- Use an app to check the poster’s identity via their phone number.
Download an app from the Google Play Store to check the names associated with the poster’s phone number. Matching with other contacts can provide clues.
- Use Google Maps or Share Location to learn more about the surrounding area.
To ensure the poster is the actual property owner, inquire about more location details. For example, if offering a rental in Sanur, Denpasar Bali, ask how far it is from Pantai Padanggalak or McDonald Sanur. Scammers usually don’t reside in those cities, so this question may expose hidden crimes.
Hope this information helps in avoiding rental scams.
Rental Scams, Upfront Payment, Identity Verification