Housing & Rental Scams

Fake or hijacked property listings that collect deposits and application fees for homes that are unavailable or non-existent.

Landlords or agents who collect large security deposits and vanish — or invent reasons to withhold them — leaving tenants out of pocket.

Fraudsters who target homeowners facing foreclosure with fake 'rescue' services that take fees and accelerate financial ruin.

Fake services that charge fees to negotiate lower mortgage payments — then deliver nothing while your arrears grow.

Rogue movers who quote low prices then hold belongings hostage for inflated final payments.

Fake resale companies that charge upfront fees to sell your timeshare — and never deliver a buyer.

Impostors posing as property owners who have no right to rent the property, leaving tenants homeless and out of pocket.

Fake or misleading arrangements that promise a path to homeownership but deliver nothing except lost rent.

Scammers intercept property sale communications and substitute fake wiring instructions to divert closing funds.

Fraudulent property-for-sale listings that collect reservation deposits from multiple interested buyers for a property the scammer does not own and has no authority to sell.

Scammers persuade homeowners facing foreclosure to sign over their property under a sale-leaseback or rescue scheme, then strip the equity and evict the family.

Unlicensed removal companies provide an artificially low estimate, then present a dramatically higher bill on moving day and refuse to unload until paid.

Fraudulent rent-to-own schemes that collect large option fees and inflated monthly payments for property that the operator has no authority to sell or transfer.

Fraudsters pose as estate agents or property managers to collect holding deposits on properties they have no authority to let, leaving tenants without a property or their money.

Fraudsters pose as landlords or existing tenants in a shared house to collect deposits and first month's rent for rooms that are already occupied, do not exist, or belong to someone else.

Scammers posing as housing authority staff, caseworkers, or 'voucher assistance' services charge desperate voucher holders illegal fees to find, guarantee, or speed up approval for a rental unit.

Scammers charge prospective renters an upfront 'application' or 'tour scheduling' fee for a unit viewing that never happens, often using photos of a real property they do not control.

Scammers advertise vacation rentals that do not exist or are not theirs to rent, collecting upfront payment through off-platform channels before travelers discover there is no real booking.

Fraudulent lenders issue fake mortgage preapproval letters or collect sensitive financial information under the guise of preapproval, costing victims fees, lost offers, or identity theft.

A fraudulent or dishonest property manager charges owners for fabricated repairs, inflated maintenance costs, or phantom vacancies while withholding rent collected from real tenants.

An unlicensed or dishonest inspector or appraiser produces a fabricated or superficial report, hiding property defects or misstating value to help a sale close quickly at the buyer's expense.

A squatter occupies a vacant property without authorization and uses a forged or fabricated lease agreement to claim tenancy rights, delaying legal removal for weeks or months.

Fraudsters forge a deed or use a stolen identity to transfer a homeowner's title into their own name, then borrow against the property or "sell" it. Paid-off, vacant, inherited, and elderly-owned homes are the prime targets.