Frauds in Apartment Rentals on Social Networks

Recently, there has been an increase in fraud related to apartment rentals on social networks. This is reported by the Cyber Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The criminals publish fake ads with attractive photos and significantly lower prices than the market rate. After expressing interest in the ad, they claim that there is a high demand for the apartment and demand an immediate transfer of a deposit to 'secure' it.

As a result, after receiving the money, they cut off contact, block you, or delete their page.

How to protect yourself

• Never transfer a deposit until you have personally seen the apartment and confirmed that you are communicating with the actual owner or an authorized representative of a real estate agency.
• If the offer seems too good to be true, there is a high probability that it is a scam.
• Make any payment only after signing a written contract.
• Check the account that published the ad: recently created accounts with little activity or suspicious pages may be used for fraud.
• If possible, ensure that the apartment photos have not been used in other ads or websites.

If you suspect that you have become a victim of fraud, contact your bank as soon as possible, keep the entire message history, transfer receipts, and any other relevant information, and immediately report it to the police.

Be vigilant and thoroughly verify the authenticity of any offer before making a payment.