Report a
rental scam.
Fake rental listings cost Americans hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Scammers copy real property photos from Zillow or Realtor.com, list them at below-market rates, and collect deposits from multiple victims before vanishing. In a housing market where affordable units disappear fast, the pressure to act quickly is exactly what scammers exploit.
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How rental scams work — and how to protect yourself
Rental scams are thriving in America's tight housing market. With vacancy rates near historic lows in many cities, renters feel intense pressure to act fast when they find an affordable listing — and scammers know exactly how to exploit that urgency. The FTC received over 43,000 rental fraud complaints in 2023, with a median loss of $980. But many victims lose far more: first and last month's rent, a security deposit, and application fees can easily total $3,000–$5,000.
The most common rental scam involves stolen property listings. Scammers copy photos and descriptions from real Zillow or Realtor.com listings and repost them on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace at a below-market price. When prospective renters inquire, the "landlord" explains they're out of the country and can't show the property but will send the keys once a deposit is received. The scammer collects deposits from multiple victims simultaneously, then disappears.
Variations of rental fraud
Hijacked listings are the most common — scammers take real properties and pose as the owner. Phantom rentals involve completely fabricated properties with AI-generated photos. Bait-and-switch scams show you a nice unit during a tour, then the lease is for a different, inferior property. Fake landlord impersonationinvolves scammers posing as the owner of a property that's already occupied, collecting rent from a "new tenant" who shows up to find someone already living there. Some scammers even create professional-looking property management websites to appear legitimate.
How to verify a rental listing
Never send money before seeing the property in person. Search the property address on the county assessor's website to verify who actually owns it. Reverse image search the listing photos to see if they appear on other sites under a different address. Check if the "landlord's" phone number or email address appears in scam reports. Be suspicious of anyone who won't meet you at the property, insists on wire transfers or cash apps, or pressures you to sign a lease before seeing the unit. A legitimate landlord will never rush you or refuse to show the property.
Where else to report
File in multiple places to maximize impact:
- →FTC — reportfraud.ftc.gov — file a complaint about the fraudulent listing
- →FBI IC3 — ic3.gov — especially if the scammer was impersonating a real property owner
- →The listing platform — report the listing on Craigslist, Facebook, Zillow, etc. for removal
- →Local police — file a police report — this helps if you pursue small claims or insurance
Related scam types
Scammers often combine tactics. If this looks familiar, check these too: