Fake Student Housing Abroad Scam on Facebook Marketplace
Scammers list nonexistent apartments and student rooms near popular study-abroad universities on Facebook Marketplace, collecting deposits from students who can't view the property in person.
Part of: Fake Student Housing Abroad Scam
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
Plenty of real rooms near universities are listed on Facebook Marketplace, and incoming international students genuinely do have to commit to housing they cannot visit first. That legitimate constraint is what this scam is built on. A well-priced listing with photos lifted from a real rental elsewhere targets students by naming the nearby university, and the 'landlord', conveniently abroad, insists on a wired deposit and first month's rent before any viewing. The distinction that matters: a genuine landlord can always prove the property exists with a live video walkthrough; a scammer refuses every real-time check while pressing for money.
How this scam works on Facebook Marketplace
A listing offers a student room or apartment near a popular university at an attractive price, using photos scraped from a real listing or rental site elsewhere, and targets students specifically by mentioning the nearby university or student housing office by name. When the prospective tenant asks to view the property in person or via video call, the 'landlord' claims to be traveling or already abroad themselves, insisting on a deposit and first month's rent be wired or transferred before they'll hand over keys or arrange a viewing, a request a genuine landlord renting to an on-site student wouldn't typically make with this level of urgency.
Because the scam specifically targets students moving to a new country, it exploits their inability to independently verify the property, their unfamiliarity with local rental norms, and the genuine time pressure of needing housing secured before arrival, all of which combine to make the too-good-to-be-true price feel like an acceptable risk rather than an obvious red flag.
Common red flags
- The listed rent is noticeably below comparable student housing near the same university
- The landlord claims to be unavailable for an in-person viewing or live video call
- Payment of a deposit is requested before any lease or viewing takes place
- Photos in the listing can be found elsewhere online through a reverse image search
- The landlord pushes international wire transfer as the only accepted payment method
- Urgency is used to prevent you from independently verifying the property or landlord
How to protect yourself
- Always request a live video call walkthrough of the actual property before sending any money
- Reverse image search listing photos to check if they appear elsewhere online
- Verify the landlord's identity and the property's existence through the university's official housing office
- Never wire a deposit for housing you haven't verified through an independent, real-time viewing
- Ask other students or your university's international student office for recommended, vetted housing options
- Use a payment method that offers dispute protection rather than an irreversible international wire
How to report it
- Report the listing using Facebook Marketplace's in-app Report tool
- Report to your university's international student or housing office, which may track known scam listings
- Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or your local consumer protection authority
- File a complaint with the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov for international wire fraud
Frequently asked questions
The 'landlord' offered to have a friend show me the property in person — is that good enough verification?
Be cautious — a scammer can arrange for an accomplice to show up at a property they don't actually control. A live video call with the landlord themselves, plus verification through the university's housing office, is more reliable than a third party's in-person visit.
What if I've already sent a deposit and the listing disappeared?
Contact your bank or payment provider immediately to ask about a dispute or reversal, report the listing to Facebook Marketplace even though it's gone, and reach out to your university's international student office, which may be able to warn other incoming students.
How can I verify student housing abroad before arriving?
Request a live video walkthrough, verify the landlord and property through your university's official international housing office, and avoid any deposit request before that verification is complete.
Why do these scams specifically target international students?
International students often can't view a property in person before arrival and face genuine time pressure to secure housing, both of which scammers exploit to push a fast, unverified payment.