A student securing housing before arriving in a new country cannot view the property, is working against a deadline, and often does not know local norms. That combination is targeted deliberately, and the same listings recirculate every year before term begins.
The pattern
An attractive property is advertised below market rate. The landlord is abroad and cannot show it, but will courier keys once a deposit and first month are transferred. Photographs are taken from a genuine listing elsewhere. Sometimes a fake letting agency with a convincing website is involved, complete with fabricated registration numbers.
Checks that prevent it
- Arrange a viewing — in person, by a friend, or by a paid local service. Refusal is decisive.
- Reverse-image search the photographs. Duplicates across cities are common.
- Verify the agent against the national letting agent registration or redress scheme where one exists.
- Check the property address exists and matches the description on a mapping service.
- Ask the university accommodation office; most maintain vetted listings and know the current scams.
How to pay
- Never pay by instant transfer, cryptocurrency or money transfer service to a private individual.
- Where a deposit protection scheme exists in that country, use it and confirm registration.
- Get a written tenancy agreement with the landlord's full legal name and address before paying.
If you have paid
Report to the police and national fraud body immediately, and tell the university — they can warn other students and sometimes provide emergency accommodation. Report the listing to the platform. Card payments can be disputed; transfers rarely recover, which is why the rule about not transferring for unviewed property matters so much.