Niederkassel: Fraudulent rental offer on the internet - Woman paid 3,000 Euros

Their scam remains the same: they ask the new tenants to transfer the deposit or the first rent in advance. However, the advertised apartments do not exist or are already rented.

A 23-year-old woman from Niederkassel, who was looking for an apartment in Berlin, had this experience. At the beginning of December last year, she found a rental property on a popular real estate portal. The contact with the supposed representative of the property management and the subsequent online apartment viewing went smoothly. The young woman innocently signed a rental contract and transferred 3,000 euros for the deposit and the kitchen's acquisition. After the receipt of the money was confirmed, the contact with the property management broke off and the ad disappeared from the internet. The 23-year-old then filed a fraud report.

Signs of Real Estate Fraud

A classic characteristic of fraudulent real estate ads is a very cheap apartment in good, renovated condition and in a popular location. Also, the request for payment before the viewing is unusual. Reputable landlords and brokers do not expect the handover of sensitive data in advance. Only after a personal viewing are income proofs, Schufa self-disclosure or guarantees handed over.

Indications of fraud in apartment ads can be

Recommendations for apartment hunting online

For more information, please visit:https://www.polizei-beratung.de/aktuelles/detailansicht/vorsicht-vor-betrug-bei-der-wohnungssuche/(Bi)

For any queries, please contact:

Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Police Department
Press Office

Phone: 02241/541-2222
Email: pressestelle@polizei-rhein-sieg.de

Original content from: Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Police Department, transmitted by news aktuell