Fake Apartment Tour & Application Fee Scam on Facebook Marketplace
Scammers post attractive rental listings on Facebook Marketplace, then collect 'application' or 'tour scheduling' fees for units they don't own or that don't exist.
Part of: Fake Apartment Tour / Application Fee Scam
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
Real landlords do list rentals on Facebook Marketplace, and a below-market rent is sometimes just an eager owner. The scam version is a clone: photos and floor plans scraped from a legitimate listing, reposted cheaper from a thin personal profile. The 'landlord' is out of town, offers a virtual walkthrough, and asks a 'holding' or 'application' fee through a peer-to-peer app or gift card to reserve your place — collecting the same fee from several renters for a vacancy that does not exist. The bottom line: no legitimate landlord charges anything before you have seen the unit in person.
How this scam works on Facebook Marketplace
A scammer scrapes photos and a floor plan from a legitimate listing site, then reposts it on Facebook Marketplace at a slightly lower price to attract volume. When a renter messages through Marketplace chat, the 'landlord' claims to be out of town or overseas for work and can't do an in-person tour, but offers a virtual walkthrough. Before that walkthrough, they ask for a small 'holding' or 'application processing' fee sent through Facebook Pay, a peer-to-peer app, or a gift card, claiming it reserves the applicant's spot ahead of other interested renters.
Because Marketplace listings can be posted with a personal profile that has few friends or a recently created account, victims often don't verify the seller's history. The scammer may also clone a real, currently listed rental from another site and message multiple interested renters simultaneously, collecting several fees for the same nonexistent vacancy before the profile is reported and removed.
Common red flags
- Landlord claims to be out of the country or unavailable for an in-person showing
- Rent is noticeably below comparable listings in the same building or neighborhood
- Payment is requested before any lease or signed application
- The listing photos also appear on other rental sites under a different agent or price
- The Facebook profile is new, has few friends, or was recently converted to a business-style account
- Pressure to pay quickly because 'other people are asking about it'
How to protect yourself
- Never send money to see or hold a rental unit before an in-person tour or verified video call with the actual property
- Reverse-image search listing photos to check if they appear elsewhere under a different name or price
- Confirm ownership or management through the county property records or the building's actual management company
- Insist on meeting at the property or verifying the agent's identity through a licensed real estate office
- Use Facebook's built-in payment protections rather than gift cards or direct bank transfers, which offer no recourse
- Search the listing address plus the word 'scam' before engaging further
How to report it
- Report the listing and profile directly in Facebook Marketplace using the 'Report' option on the listing
- File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Report to local police if money was sent, including screenshots of the chat and payment confirmation
- Notify the actual property owner or management company if their listing was cloned
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a Facebook Marketplace landlord's profile is trustworthy?
Look at how long the profile has existed and whether it shows a normal history of posts, friends, and activity rather than just recently created rental listings. A profile that's brand new, has almost no activity besides rentals, or is running listings in several different cities at once is a strong warning sign that it doesn't belong to a real individual landlord.
Can Facebook Marketplace remove a scam listing before I lose money?
Facebook can remove a reported listing, but response times vary and there's no guarantee it happens before other renters are targeted. Don't count on Marketplace's moderation to catch a scam in time — treat any request to pay before an in-person tour as a reason to stop engaging on your own.
What should I do if I already paid a fee to a fake landlord on Marketplace?
Stop any further payments immediately, save every message and payment confirmation as evidence, and contact your bank or payment provider to ask about a dispute or chargeback. Report the profile to Facebook and file a report with the FTC, since documentation helps even when the specific funds aren't recoverable.
Is it ever normal to pay before touring a rental found on Facebook Marketplace?
No legitimate landlord requires payment before you've seen the unit in person or verified their identity. Application fees, when legitimate, are paid after a tour and typically go through a formal screening service, not personal payment apps.
Can I get my money back if I paid through Facebook Pay?
Facebook Pay offers limited buyer protections mainly for goods purchases, not rental deposits sent to individuals, so recovery is unlikely once funds clear. Report immediately and dispute with your bank or card issuer if possible.