Dummy rentals: a fraud on the rise

Dummy rentals: a fraud on the rise

Dummy rentals are a type of scams that affect the real estate sector, and through which flat rentals are advertised but they do not exist in the market. These advertisements offer, at a very advantageous price, non-existent flats: bargains and too-good-to-be-true prices that are offered on the Internet, a fact which would, undoubtedly, raise suspicions of anybody who is knowledgeable and in touch with the reality of the real estate market, but unfortunately not everyone is aware of this. To find a good flat for rental in a large city is not an easy task, and it is this difficulty that has led some swindlers to take advantage of this and thus carry out the scams. To stumble upon a great opportunity, to find an incredible offer: sometimes it is easy to think that we have had a stroke of luck. This is the great danger of dummy rentals: believing that we have been the fortunate ones to have been able to find a bargain, a situation that can make us behave in an impulsive and irrational way. In large cities, when we find a rental opportunity we must not wait for long; the deal must be carried out as quickly as possible so that nobody else will move forward, and this is what usually causes carelessness a fact that we may later regret. The swindlers usually ask for personal data, as for instance, our ID card or the last salary: just by sending this information by email we will be opening the door to losing control over it as the swindlers will use our names to commit frauds.

Dummy rentals: a fraud on the rise
Dummy rentals are offered in fraudulent advertisements of false flats that do not exist in the market

HOW TO AVOID A FRAUD

More and more insurance agencies are putting us in alert regarding the fraud of dummy rentals that, unfortunately, have increased in our country in a striking way. The difficulty of currently finding a flat for rental in a large city is the perfect breeding ground to carry out this type of fraud. As we have already mentioned, the swindlers take advantage of fraudulent offers in order to obtain personal data; once they have obtained it, they use this data for all kinds of frauds and some of them of a considerable amount of money. What must be done to avoid falling into a scam? The first logical rule is to be suspicious of especially advantageous advertisements. Nobody gives a dollar for a dime, and least of all in the real estate market, so therefore it is convenient to question any opportunity that looks especially good. Obviously, one must be absolutely distrusful of any company that does not seem like one: that is, advertisements that raise doubts for not seeming somewhat formal , or those that are advertised by agencies of dubious origin (sometimes, a non-business email contact can give us a clue). Before providing any personal data, and if the house which is offered is of great interest, then it must be visited. If they come up with an excuse or raise objections to allow us to visit it, then we can think that this house, probably, does not exist.

Dummy rentals: a fraud on the rise
Swindlers usually make use of the Internet to obtain personal data that they can use to carry out all kinds of frauds

THE SAFETY OF HIRING A REAL ESTATE AGENT

We always say that if we hire a trustworthy and reliable real estate agent, we will save a lot of time and avoid unnecessary headaches and worries. Any possibility of a fraud or a deceit will be automatically eliminated when we have a trustworthy real estate agent. It is fundamental to feel protected when it comes to carrying out any deal in the real estate sector. This is why Estate One recommends to always play it safe as we must not forget that we are talking about the very important issue of purchasing or renting a house. How do we work in Estate One? What do we put at your disposal? How can we help you? Here, we tell you about it in detail.

Picture 01: Freepik

Picture 02: rawpixel

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