Create an ad
Menü
Fraudulent advertisements

Fraudulent advertisements

Be on your guard when you come across advertised residential property which seems too good to be true. You may be dealing with a fraudulent advertisement. Report any suspicious advertisements to our Customer Service.

Each ad contains a corresponding link at the bottom left.

Fraudulent ads do not always look the same. The properties being advertised may change just like the name of the party making the offer. However, the strategy employed with these types of ads is always similar. There are various features that can help you identify this type of fraud.

Distinguishing feature

  • The properties on offer are located in prime locations, have an unusually attractive price and boast beautiful pictures.
  • After contacting the property provider, which can usually only be done by e-mail, interested parties are often told that the property can only be viewed for an up-front fee amounting to at least one month's rent. For the key handover, the scammers often suggest an international logistics company along with a link to a fake version of that company's website.

Beware of using supposedly trustworthy websites as ‘trustees’

The involvement of renowned external companies as supposed trustees is an especially deceptive scam. The scammers suggest that you transfer the money for your rental deposit not to them, but to an account with a trusted company such as Airbnb or Tripadvisor. This sounds as though it will be more secure, as the company will supposedly act as an independent trustee for the payment and refund it to you if you don’t want the apartment after all.

But the link that is supposed to lead to this website actually takes you to a fake website, which is a deceptively genuine-looking copy of the real thing and can only be identified as a fake from the URL.

An international logistics company is often suggested as a platform for handling the handover of keys, again with a faked website. 

What can you do?

If you are unsure whether the ad in question is fraudulent, note the following:

  • Always avoid up-front fees of any kind. A legitimate party will not ask for any prepayment to view a property.
  • Proceed with caution when you come across highly appealing offers.
  • Verify the contact details. The name and address often do not match. You can use search engines to find seller pseudonyms, company names and names of persons.
  • Never transfer money before you have personally viewed a property and the appropriate contracts have been legally signed.
  • Avoid using 0900 numbers and SMS services.