Scammers Target the Real Estate Market Before the Holidays: How Not to Lose Money on Rent.

According to ТСН: Before the holidays, the real estate market is experiencing a real boom, opening up new opportunities for scammers.

Criminals post attractive rental offers for comfortable houses or apartments online at prices significantly lower than the market rate. After receiving an advance payment,

the “owners” simply disappear

Usually, photos are taken from foreign websites or hotel portals.

Another scam scheme involves long-term rentals: the criminal initially rents the property for a few days and then poses as the owner and “rents” it to others for half a year.

Taking payment for the first and last month, he disappears before the real owner shows up.

How Not to Fall for the Hook

Experts recommend following a few simple tips before transferring funds:

• No premature payments. Do not send money to a card before viewing the property and signing the contract. A contract is mandatory for long-term rentals.

• Check visual content. Use Google Images search. If the photo of the “cozy apartment in Lviv” appears in ads for Warsaw or Prague, you are likely dealing with a scammer.

• Analyze price and address. An excessively low price should raise your suspicions. Also, check the address on maps: scammers often use nonexistent addresses or addresses of office centers.

Check the landlord's account on the listing platform. If the profile was created only a week ago, has closed comments, or a suspicious number of followers, it is a warning sign.

Don’t forget: photos of passports or housing documents, sent via messengers, do not guarantee safety. In today's world, it is possible to forge a digital copy of a document in just a few minutes.

Remember that in Kyiv, a scammer posing as a bank employee deceived a 75-year-old pensioner, taking 64,000 UAH through a “vishing” scheme using SIP telephony to spoof the number. Law enforcement has announced suspicions against the criminal in two separate crimes.

Thus, a conscious approach to choosing landlords can prevent many unpleasant situations. Caution in financial matters and attention to detail can protect you from scammers who take advantage of the holiday rush to deceive. Remember, a safe transaction begins with proper checks.