What To Do After a Rental-Deposit Scam
Steps to recover your deposit and protect yourself after paying rent or a deposit for a property that the advertiser did not own or that did not exist.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
First 10 minutes
- Stop sending any further payments immediately — do not pay a first-month rent, key deposit, or agency fee
- Screenshot the rental listing, the advertiser's profile, and all messages before they are deleted
- Note down the property address and the advertiser's contact details
- Contact your bank or card provider about the payment already made
- Check the property on a legitimate listings site to see if the same address appears with different contact details
First 24 hours
- File a report with your national fraud service including the listing URL, property address, and all contact details
- Report the listing to the platform it appeared on so it can be removed and the account investigated
- If you visited the property or have a physical address for the scammer, consider also reporting to local police
Contact your bank or payment provider
- Contact your bank or card provider and ask about chargeback or payment recall for the deposit amount
- If you paid by bank transfer (faster payments), the bank may be able to recall the funds if acted on quickly
- Ask about your eligibility under any authorised push payment (APP) fraud reimbursement scheme
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshots of the listing, photos used, and the advertiser's profile
- All messages, emails, and call logs with the advertiser
- Payment receipts and bank records for all money transferred
Secure your accounts and devices
- If you shared ID documents (passport, driving licence) as part of a rental application, monitor your credit report for identity misuse
- If you shared your employer or income details, be alert to targeted follow-up approaches
- Block the scammer's contact details and report to the platform
Report it
- Report to your national fraud/cybercrime service
- Report to the platform, bank, or provider involved
- Keep any reference numbers you're given
Rental deposit scams exploit the pressure of a competitive housing market. Fraudsters list properties they do not own — often copying genuine listings from other sites — at below-market prices to generate urgency. Victims are told a deposit is needed to secure the property before viewing, or are shown the property by someone posing as the owner or agent.
Key recovery levers are speed (bank recalls work best in the first 24 hours), the chargeback route if you paid by card, and the APP reimbursement schemes now available in some jurisdictions. Report to the platform immediately so the listing is removed before it victimises someone else.
Frequently asked questions
Is it ever safe to pay a rental deposit without viewing a property?
Paying any deposit before you have physically visited a property and confirmed the landlord's identity carries significant risk. If a remote viewing is unavoidable, use a video call, independently verify the landlord's ownership via land registry records, and pay by credit card.
What is APP fraud reimbursement and do I qualify?
Authorised push payment (APP) fraud occurs when you are tricked into sending a bank transfer. In the UK, Payment Systems Regulator rules now require most banks to reimburse victims of APP fraud up to a set limit. Contact your bank and ask about their APP reimbursement policy.