--- title: "Rental and holiday booking scams: red flags | TapSafely" url: https://tapsafely.com/scams/rental-scams source: TapSafely description: "A great flat at a low price, a landlord abroad and a deposit before viewing. How rental and holiday booking scams work and how to rent safely." --- [Home](https://tapsafely.com/)/[Scam guides](https://tapsafely.com/scams/)/ Rental and holiday booking scams # Rental and holiday booking scams Housing is tight in many cities, and scammers know it. They copy real listings, lower the price, and ask for a deposit before you can see the place. Holiday versions copy real hotels and villas. By the TapSafely editorial team · Updated 16 September 2026 · 3 min read ## In short A great flat at a low price, a landlord abroad and a deposit before viewing. How rental and holiday booking scams work and how to rent safely. **Top warning signs:** You can't view the property; Payment before viewing or signing; The price is well below similar places. **First thing to do:** View the property in person, or through a trusted person, before paying anything. Example · Rental site → WhatsApp · Illustrative, links disabled “Landlord” Hello, the apartment is still available. I'm working abroad so I can't show it, but my agent will send you the keys after you pay the deposit and first month by bank transfer. Many people are interested, so please pay today to reserve it. An example scam message with the warning signs highlighted. ## How the scam works Scammers copy photos and descriptions from real listings, post them at an attractive price on rental sites, social media groups or classifieds, and move the conversation to email or WhatsApp. They explain why you can't view the property, then ask for a deposit, first month's rent or a “holding fee” by bank transfer or a money transfer service. Some send a fake contract to seem official. Holiday versions use fake villas, cloned hotel websites or messages that pretend to come from a booking platform, asking you to pay outside the platform. ## Red flags to look for - **You can't view the property.** The owner is abroad, busy or “in hospital”, and keys will be posted after payment. - **Payment before viewing or signing.** Especially by bank transfer, money transfer, crypto or gift cards. - **The price is well below similar places.** A bargain in a high-demand area is a classic lure. - **Pressure to pay today.** “Lots of people are interested” is meant to rush you. - **Paying outside the booking platform.** Real hosts don't ask you to pay by bank transfer or through a link sent by message. ## What to do if you get one 1. View the property in person, or through a trusted person, before paying anything. 2. Do a reverse image search of the listing photos to see if they appear elsewhere under another name or city. 3. Check that the landlord or agent really owns or manages the property where your country allows it, and use registered agents. 4. Keep bookings and payments inside the platform, and use payment methods with buyer protection. ## If you already paid or shared details ### Act quickly. It makes a difference. 1. Contact your bank or payment provider immediately and ask them to recall the transfer. 2. Report the listing to the website or group where you found it. 3. Report it to the police or the official fraud service in your country. More help: [what to do after a scam, and where to report it in your country](https://tapsafely.com/been-scammed). ## Questions people ask Is a signed contract proof that it's real? No. Scammers send convincing fake contracts and copied ID documents. The booking platform emailed me asking to pay by transfer. Is that normal? No. Log in to the platform directly and check your booking and messages there. ## Official sources and further reading We check our guides against advice from government agencies and consumer protection bodies. - [Rental Listing Scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/rental-listing-scams) (US Federal Trade Commission) - [Holiday fraud](https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/holiday-fraud/) (Report Fraud, UK police) - [Buying and selling scams (rental and holiday properties)](https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/buying-and-selling-scams) (Scamwatch, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) ### Got a message like this? Paste the message or link Check it free ### Still unsure? Describe what happened and our AI assistant will help, in any language. Ask TapSafely ### On this page 1. [How it works](#how) 2. [Red flags](#red-flags) 3. [What to do](#what-to-do) 4. [If you already paid](#already-paid) 5. [Questions](#faq) 6. [Sources](#sources) ### Seen this scam? Your report helps warn people in your area. [Report it](https://tapsafely.com/report?category=marketplace) ## Related guides [Guide ### Marketplace buyer and seller scams Fake payment links, overpayments and couriers that never come. How marketplace scams target both sellers and buyers, and… Read guide](https://tapsafely.com/scams/marketplace-seller-scams)[Guide ### Fake online shops Huge discounts, countdown timers and a shop that never delivers. How to check whether an online store is real before you… Read guide](https://tapsafely.com/scams/fake-online-shops)[Guide ### Phishing links and fake login pages Learn the one skill that stops most scams: reading who really owns a link. With examples of look-alike addresses and fak… Read guide](https://tapsafely.com/scams/phishing-links)