Rental and deposit scams

Rental and deposit scams pressure you to pay a holding deposit or move off-platform for a property or stay that isn't real.

How rental and deposit scams work

A 'landlord' or 'host' offers a great place but is 'abroad', so they ask for a deposit before any viewing.

Or you're pushed to pay outside Airbnb/Booking.com 'to avoid fees' or because the 'app is down'.

Off-platform payments remove all protection and the property may not be theirs - or exist.

Common opening lines

• “The flat is in high demand - pay the deposit now to reserve it.”
• “Let's book directly to avoid fees - pay by bank transfer.”
• “I'm abroad, so just transfer the deposit and I'll post the keys.”

Example patterns

Sanitised examples - placeholders only, never real links or data.

Red flags

• payment request
• urgency
• too good

What to do now

1. Stop paying and keep the deal/communication on official channels.
2. If money moved, contact your bank or payment provider immediately.
3. Save evidence and report to your national cybercrime authority.

What not to do

• Don't pay a fee to receive money, a refund, a prize, or to 'release' funds.
• Don't pay via gift cards, wire, or crypto to someone you haven't verified.
• Don't trust payment screenshots as proof of payment.

If you already responded

If you went further: if you clicked, don't enter anything and change any details you typed; if you entered card details, freeze the card with your bank; if you shared an OTP, change the password and enable app-based 2FA; if you paid, contact your bank or provider immediately; if you installed an app or gave remote access, disconnect, uninstall, and change passwords from a clean device.

How to verify safely

Verify the landlord/host and property, view it (or use a trusted agent), and pay only inside the official platform.

How to report

Report through official channels you find yourself - never a number or link from the message. Tell your bank or payment provider if money moved, and file with your national fraud or cybercrime body. Find the right links in the reporting directory. Open the reporting directory.

Watch for 'recovery' offers afterwards: anyone promising to get your money back for an upfront fee is running a second scam.

Sources checked

• FTC Consumer Advice - Imposter scams
• FBI IC3 - Senior US officials impersonated in malicious messaging campaign (2025)

Last reviewed: 2026-06-05

This is general safety information, not legal, financial, or cybersecurity incident-response advice. We can't detect every scam or guarantee recovery - always verify through official channels.