Rental Scams: Fake Listings, Lockbox Tours and How to Verify a Landlord

A rental scam starts with a listing that is either stolen from a real landlord or invented for a place that is not for rent, and it ends with a demand for an application fee, deposit or first month's rent before you have met anyone or been given a lease you can check. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says rental scams "often happen one of two ways": scammers "take over real rental listings and make them their own," or they "create listings for places that aren't for rent or don't exist." The FBI's Boston field office reduces the defense to one line: "Do not put money towards a house or apartment you have not seen."

Before you pay anyone, confirm who owns the property. The FTC's advice for a private landlord is to "search city or county tax assessment websites to learn who owns a property, then check the landlord's ID to be sure it matches the records." If you already paid: call the bank, card issuer or payment app you used right away, then report the scam to your local police, the website where the ad ran, and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you sent a wire, gift card or cryptocurrency, the FTC warns "it's like sending cash. Once it's gone, you probably can't get it back," so speed matters more than anything else.

Information last verified on October 2, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This guide covers United States federal agency guidance on rental listing scams (the FTC, the FBI and its Internet Crime Complaint Center) and the federal wire fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1343. It does not cover state landlord-tenant law, state rules on application fees or security deposits, or the reimbursement policies of any listing website. Your rights against a real landlord or property owner depend on your state; see our landlord-tenant law guides. For refund rights by payment method, see how to get money back after a scam.

How rental scams work: hijacked listings and fake listings

The FTC separates rental scams into two patterns. Knowing which one you are looking at tells you what to check.

In a hijacked listing, the home is real and may really be for rent, but the person answering your messages is not the landlord. The FTC puts it simply: "if you call or email about the rental, you'll reach a scammer." Its advice is to search the address along with the owner or company name, and to go to the rental company's own website to see if the property is listed there too. "If it isn't, the ad you found may be a scam."

In a fake listing, the home may not be available at all. The FTC says that when you ask to see the rental, "the fake owner will usually claim to be out of the country or give another excuse for not showing the property," then rushes you into a quick decision. The FBI's Boston office describes the same move: the "owner" claims they are "unable to show the property without payment because they are either out of town or out of the country."

A common version copies a house that is actually for sale. The FTC's December 2025 Data Spotlight says "many would-be renters report discovering that the scammer copied an ad for a property that was really for sale, not for rent." The FTC calls a for-sale listing of the same home "a big red flag."

Red flags that a rental listing is fake

Each of these comes from FTC or FBI guidance:

• The rent is well below the area. The FTC says that if the rent "is a lot cheaper than most rents in the area, it could be a sign of a scam."
• Pressure to decide now. "If anyone pressures you to make a decision quickly, walk away," the FTC says.
• No in-person meeting. The FTC says rental scammers "generally won't meet you in person." The FBI says: "Do not fill out applications online until you have met directly with the property manager."
• The same address under a different name. The FTC says other ads for the same address "with a different owner or rental company name" are "a sign of a scam." The FTC's Data Spotlight adds that the same property listed "with different prices or contact information" is "likely a scam."
• The home is listed for sale. The FTC calls this "a big red flag."
• Payment only by wire, gift card or crypto. The FTC says that if anyone insists you can only pay with "wire transfers through Western Union or MoneyGram, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, it's a scam."
• Early demands for your Social Security number or credit score. See the application-fee section below.
• Someone who contacts you claiming to work for the owner. The FTC says never to give personal or financial information "to anyone who contacts you and claims to be working with the owner or rental company," and to use contact information you already have instead.

The self-guided tour and lockbox trick

Being let inside does not prove the listing is real. The FTC says scammers "may set you up with a self-guided tour to help convince you they're legit by copying listings from landlords who use self-tour services." Its December 2025 Data Spotlight describes the mechanics: "they send you a code (or tell you how to get one) to open a lockbox holding the keys."

The same Spotlight notes that "scam warnings sometimes posted inside these homes have helped tip some people off." If you tour a home on your own, look for such a notice, and verify the owner before you pay anyone (steps below).

The FTC is explicit that a visit or a virtual tour is "still not a guarantee that a property is real or available for rent." If you go in person, it says to "ask the rental agent for a business card issued by the company that owns or manages the property. Then check the agent's ID to be sure it matches the records."

Application fee, credit score and background check scams

Some rental scams are after your information or a sign-up commission rather than a deposit. The FTC lists three things the scammer behind a hijacked listing may do:

1. Take an upfront payment. The scammer "might try to pocket your money for the supposed application fee, deposit, first month's rent, or vacation rental charge."
2. Harvest your identity. The scammer "might tell you to complete an application with information like your Social Security number, a picture of your driver's license, paystubs, and other personal details. Then they might use this information to steal your identity."
3. Sell you a credit product. The scammer "might say you need to show you're creditworthy by sending screenshots of your credit scores. What they really want is to get you to enroll in a paid credit monitoring program with recurring fees."

The FTC's Data Spotlight adds detail on the credit check version: scammers "send links to websites that let you sign up for a credit check, often for $1. You might not realize that enrolls you in a paid membership with recurring fees, or that the scammer makes money as an 'affiliate' for each enrollment."

The FTC's rule of thumb: "Until you've agreed to rent a place, a landlord doesn't need your Social Security number, credit score, or other sensitive information. And most landlords normally pull your credit score themselves." If you already sent a scammer your Social Security number, license photo or pay stubs, follow the steps in a scammer has my information and consider a credit freeze or fraud alert. If a link signed you up for a recurring charge, contact the card issuer or bank you paid with.

Section 8 and housing voucher scams

Housing assistance has its own scams. The FTC warned in a June 16, 2022 consumer alert that "scammers have made websites that look like registration sites for Section 8 waiting list lotteries. If you pay a fee or give your personal information, the scammers will take it." The same alert says plainly: "there is no fee to register for a Section 8 waiting list."

A second version advertises housing directly. The FTC says "some fake sites list Section 8 properties that supposedly are available. They promise you can rent one, if you pay the first month's rent via wire transfer or a prepaid card."

The FTC's guidance on how real housing authorities behave:

"Housing authorities do not charge fees, and they won't reach out to you by phone or email to suggest that you join a waiting list. A housing authority also will never ask you to wire money or pay with a prepaid card."

The safe route, per the FTC: "To get on the waiting list for a voucher, find your local housing authority and call or email them." The FTC alert also says to file a complaint with the FTC and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD's Office of Inspector General has separately warned of "schemes whereby fraudsters falsely announce on social media that waitlists for housing vouchers, including 'Section 8' or other government-assisted housing are opening soon."

How to verify a landlord or property owner before you pay

These steps come from the FTC's rental listing guidance and the FBI Boston warning. Do them before you sign or send money.

1. Search the address. Search the rental's address with the owner or company name. Other ads for the same place under a different name, or a for-sale listing, are warning signs (FTC).
2. Check the company's own website. For a property managed by a company, go to the company's website directly and see whether the property is listed there (FTC).
3. Look up the owner of record. For a private landlord, "search city or county tax assessment websites to learn who owns a property, then check the landlord's ID to be sure it matches the records" (FTC). The FBI gives the same advice: "Confirm the identity of the landlord by researching public records to find out who owns the property you are seeking to rent or purchase." Our property records guides explain where those records are kept.
4. Match the agent to the company. In person, ask for a business card issued by the company that owns or manages the property, then check the agent's ID against the records (FTC).
5. Search the name for complaints. Search the owner or rental company's name "with the words 'complaint,' 'review,' or 'scam'" (FTC).
6. See the place. Visit, have someone you know visit, or watch a video or virtual tour, knowing even that is not a guarantee (FTC). The FBI says: "Do not put money towards a house or apartment you have not seen."
7. For a vacation rental, get the contract first. The FTC says to "get a copy of the contract before you send any deposit money. Check that the address of the property really exists." If the property is in a resort, it says to call the front desk to confirm the location and other details on the contract.

How rental scammers ask to be paid

The FTC's rental guidance names specific payment demands as a scam signal: "If anyone insists you can only pay with wire transfers through Western Union or MoneyGram, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, it's a scam. Wiring money, sending gift cards, or paying by cryptocurrency is the same as sending cash." The FBI's Boston office adds: "Do not wire funds to people you do not know."

Payment apps are not on that FTC list, but money you send yourself through a peer-to-peer app such as Zelle, Venmo or Cash App can also be hard to get back, because banks and apps often treat a payment you sent as authorized. Our Zelle and payment app scam guide explains how that works and what each company's policy says. Gift card payments have their own guide: gift card scams.

Your rights to reverse a payment depend on how you paid, not on the type of scam. Credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, apps, wires and crypto each follow different rules and deadlines, set out in how to get money back after a scam.

If you already paid a rental scammer

Work through these in order. The first step is the one with the best chance of stopping the money.

1. Contact the payment company now. Call your bank, card issuer, payment app, or the wire or gift card company, using the number on your card or its official app or website. Report the fraud and ask whether the payment can be stopped or disputed. If they refuse, see what to do when a bank refuses a scam refund.
2. Stop all contact and payments. Do not send a second payment the scammer calls refundable, a key fee, or a deposit to "hold" the unit.
3. Save everything. Screenshots of the listing and its web address, the messages, the name and number used, payment receipts, and any lease or application you were sent.
4. Report it. See the next section.
5. Protect your identity if you shared documents. If you sent your Social Security number, license or pay stubs, use the identity theft reporting steps.
6. Be wary of anyone offering to recover the money for a fee. See the warning on recovery offers in where to report a scam.

The FTC points people who paid a scammer to ftc.gov/scams for guidance on recovering money.

Where to report a rental scam

The FTC's rental listing page says: "If you notice a rental listing scam, report it to your local law enforcement agency and the website where the ad was posted. And report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov." It also lists your state attorney general.

Our guide to where to report a scam explains what each agency does with a report and what to include. Reporting does not by itself get your money back.

Is a rental scam a crime?

A rental scam run through online ads, email, text messages or electronic payments can fall under the federal wire fraud statute, and states have their own fraud and theft laws (not covered here). 18 U.S.C. § 1343 provides:

"Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, transmits or causes to be transmitted by means of wire, radio, or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce, any writings, signs, signals, pictures, or sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both."

Wire fraud is a criminal charge that prosecutors bring, not a claim a victim files. Whether you can sue anyone, and whether it is worth it, is covered in when a lawyer helps after a scam.

Rental scam statistics

Two federal datasets measure this problem. They count different things in different ways, so their figures should not be added together or compared directly.

FTC Consumer Sentinel (Data Spotlight, December 22, 2025). "Since 2020, people have reported nearly 65,000 rental scams to the FTC with about $65 million in losses." The FTC's footnote explains that these are reports filed from January 2020 through June 2025, identified as rental scams by a text classification model, and that "the median reported loss amount during this period was $1,000." The FTC adds that "since most scams are never reported to a government agency, this likely reflects only a fraction of the actual harm."

• Where they start: "In the 12 months ending in June 2025, about half of people who reported a rental scam said it started with a fake ad on Facebook. Another 16% said the scam started with a fake listing on Craigslist." Reports that named no website, app or platform were excluded. The FTC says "Facebook is the most reported platform."
• Who loses money: "People ages 18 to 29 were three times more likely than other adults to report losing money to a rental scam." The FTC notes that many young adults report being targeted on Facebook groups college students use to look for sublets near campus.
• By age: for reports filed July 2024 through June 2025, the FTC gives "the share of reports indicating a monetary loss filed by each age group" as 46% (18-29), 23% (30-39), 13% (40-49), 9% (50-59), 6% (60-69), 2% (70-79), and less than 1% (80 and over).

FBI IC3 (2025 Annual Report). The IC3 recorded 12,368 real estate fraud complaints in 2025 with reported losses of $275,110,419, compared with 9,359 complaints and $173,586,820 in 2024. This category is broader than rentals: the IC3 defines real estate fraud as "Loss of funds from a real estate investment or fraud involving rental or timeshare property," so it also includes timeshare and real estate investment fraud.

If you are a landlord: copied listings and overpayment checks

Real landlords are caught up in these scams too. The FTC says many landlords "report seeing their listings copied to defraud people." If your listing has been copied, report the fake ad to the site where it appears and to the FTC.

The FBI's Boston office also warns of a reverse scam aimed at people renting out property: the scammer sends a check for the deposit written for more than the amount required and asks for the remainder to be sent back. Then "the check is found to be counterfeit and the victim is held responsible by the bank for all losses." Why a deposited check can look good and still bounce is explained in money mule and fake check scams.

Your rights as a tenant after a rental scam

What you can do about a lost deposit or application fee, a lease signed with someone who did not own the home, or a dispute with the real owner depends on your state's landlord-tenant law and your facts. This guide does not cover state rules. Start with our landlord-tenant law guides, and for your situation contact your state attorney general's office or a lawyer licensed in your state.

Related guides

• Scams and fraud laws: the full guide
• How to get money back after a scam
• Where to report a scam
• Zelle, Venmo, Cash App and PayPal scams
• Money mule and fake check scams
• A scammer has my information
• Property records
• Landlord-tenant law

Last updated: October 2, 2026.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about rental scams under United States federal agency guidance and federal law, verified on October 2, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact the bank or payment company you used, the agency named above, or a lawyer licensed in your state.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if a rental listing is a scam?

FTC warning signs include rent far below the area, pressure to decide quickly, an owner who will not show the home, the same address listed elsewhere under a different name or for sale, and a demand to pay by wire, gift card or cryptocurrency.

Can a rental scammer let me tour the house?

Yes. The FTC says scammers copy listings from landlords who use self-tour services and send you a code to open the lockbox holding the keys. Getting inside does not prove the person you are dealing with owns or manages the home.

How do I verify that a landlord owns the property?

For a private landlord, the FTC says to search city or county tax assessment websites to learn who owns the property, then check that the landlord's ID matches the records. For a company, ask for a business card issued by the company and check the agent's ID.

Should I pay a deposit before seeing an apartment?

The FBI's Boston field office says not to put money towards a house or apartment you have not seen, and not to wire funds to people you do not know.

Is it a scam if a landlord asks for a screenshot of my credit score?

The FTC says this is a scam pattern: the goal is to get you to enroll in a paid credit monitoring program with recurring fees, often through a credit check link that costs $1. It says most landlords pull your credit score themselves.

Do you have to pay to get on a Section 8 waiting list?

No. The FTC says there is no fee to register for a Section 8 waiting list, housing authorities do not charge fees, and a housing authority will never ask you to wire money or pay with a prepaid card. Contact your local housing authority directly.

Can I get my money back after a rental scam?

It depends on how you paid, so contact the bank, card issuer or app immediately. The FTC says money sent by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency is like sending cash and once it is gone you probably cannot get it back.

Where do I report a rental scam?

The FTC says to report it to your local law enforcement agency, the website where the ad was posted, the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and your state attorney general. You can also file with the FBI's IC3, and the FTC says to report Section 8 scams to HUD as well.

How common are rental scams?

The FTC received nearly 65,000 rental scam reports with about $65 million in losses from January 2020 through June 2025, with a median reported loss of $1,000. The FBI's IC3 logged 12,368 real estate fraud complaints in 2025, a category that also includes timeshare and investment fraud.