Fake Student Housing Abroad Scam

This scam targets students moving to study in another city or country, who typically need to secure housing before arrival and cannot easily view the property in person. Scammers post attractive listings for rooms or apartments near a university, often using photos stolen from real property listings, and collect a deposit or several months' rent upfront via bank transfer before the student arrives, at which point the property turns out not to exist, not to be available, or not to belong to the 'landlord' at all.

International students are especially vulnerable because they are competing for limited housing in an unfamiliar city, often on a tight timeline tied to a visa or term start date, and cannot verify a listing by visiting it or meeting the landlord in person before paying.

A related variant targets students who have already arrived: a fake landlord shows a room that is not actually theirs to rent (sometimes an empty unit they have no legitimate access to), collects a deposit and first month's rent in cash, and disappears before the student is due to move in.

The scam typically begins with a listing on a housing website, social media group, or student forum, describing a room or apartment near campus at a price that is attractive relative to the local market, sometimes explicitly framed as a special deal for international or exchange students. The 'landlord' explains they are currently abroad, unavailable to show the property in person, or relying on an agent, and offers to secure the room via video call or photos instead of an in-person viewing.

The student is asked to pay a deposit, and often several months' rent in advance, by international bank transfer, to 'confirm' the booking before someone else takes the room. The urgency is amplified by claims of high demand or other interested renters. Once payment is sent, the landlord becomes unreachable, or provides excuses for why the keys or lease documents are delayed.

When the student arrives (or otherwise attempts to follow up), they discover the property does not exist at the stated address, is already occupied by someone else with a legitimate lease, or the person who took their money had no connection to the property at all.

Securing housing before arriving in a new city is a genuine and pressing need, and the inability to view a property in person removes the single most effective safeguard against this kind of fraud. Competitive local rental markets near universities create a real fear of missing out on the shrinking pool of available rooms, which scammers amplify by claiming other renters are interested.

International students may also be unfamiliar with local rental norms and red flags that a local renter would recognise immediately, such as a landlord unwilling to use a formal lease or property management platform, making the fraudulent listing harder to distinguish from an unusual but legitimate arrangement.

A student accepted to study abroad finds an appealing apartment listing near their new university on a social media group, from a landlord who says they are currently overseas and cannot show the unit in person. Eager to secure housing before term starts, the student wires a deposit and two months' rent by international bank transfer. On arrival, the address turns out to be a different building entirely, and the person who took the payment stops responding.

I'm currently abroad but can send you the keys once you wire the deposit and first month's rent.

Several other students are interested in this room — send your deposit today to secure it.

Here are photos of the apartment. I use an agent locally, but all payments go through me directly.

The lease will be ready once your payment clears. Please transfer [amount] to this account.

Never pay a deposit or rent for a property you have not viewed in person or verified through a real-time video call showing the specific unit, ideally including views out the window that can be cross-checked against the stated address. Ask for the landlord's or agency's official registration details and verify them independently through the relevant local property or letting agency register.

Where possible, arrange for someone local — a university international student office, a relocation service, or a trusted local contact — to view the property in person before any money changes hands. Use the university's own accommodation office or verified partner housing platforms rather than open marketplace listings when arriving in an unfamiliar city.