The flat looks perfect, but the landlord wants a deposit before the viewing

The photographs are bright, the location is excellent and the price is slightly below every similar listing. There is just one problem: the landlord is abroad and cannot show you the flat. They promise to send the keys as soon as you pay a “refundable reservation fee”. You must decide today because three other people are supposedly waiting.

This may not be a bargain. The advert could be copied from a genuine listing, or the caller may have no right to let the property. In 2024, Polish police described the arrest of people advertising fictitious homes: they posed as agency employees, collected deposits and disappeared.

Pressure is part of the offer

Rental markets genuinely move quickly, especially before an academic year begins. A scammer uses that reality to make normal caution feel like a costly delay. “If you do not transfer it now, the next person is ready” is intended to end the conversation before a viewing or document check.

Photographs, a draft agreement, a copy of an identity document and an old social-media profile may all add credibility. None proves that the person owns the home or may legally let it. Images and documents may belong to somebody else, and a social account may have been taken over.

What to check before sending money

View the property. Ideally visit in person and take somebody with you. A video call can help, but a recording or short tour does not prove the caller’s right to the property.

Verify identity and authority to let. Ask to see identity and evidence that the owner or authorised representative may sign the agreement, using an appropriate and safe process. Do not treat a scan sent in chat as the only evidence, and do not send a complete photograph of your own identity document merely “to reserve” the flat.

Compare the details. Search for a distinctive sentence from the description and use reverse-image search. The same property appearing in another city, at a different price or with different contact details is a reason to stop.

Read the agreement before paying. The property, parties, amount, dates, refund terms and key handover should be clear. A bank account belonging to someone else needs a proper explanation, not a rushed excuse.

Do not pay simply for permission to view. A fee to join a list, receive the address or attend a viewing is a strong warning sign.

A viewing does not end the checks

The person showing a property could be a tenant, an acquaintance or somebody with temporary access. Police cases have also involved people offering homes they did not own and collecting deposits from several applicants. Keys, physical access and a signature on a printed contract do not replace checking who has authority over the property.

You do not need to photograph every document or create another store of personal data. Look for consistency: the person, agreement, home and payment account should form one explainable story. If the landlord avoids simple questions, resents verification or changes payment details at the last moment, walk away.

If you already sent the deposit

Contact the bank immediately through an official number and ask whether the transfer can be stopped. Report the listing to the platform, but first preserve its URL, screenshots, photographs, conversation, phone number, agreement and payment confirmation. Report the matter to the police.

If you shared an identity-document image, also treat the incident as an identity-theft risk. Keep a copy of what you sent, use any national identity-protection option available to you and watch for attempted misuse. Do not pay another “refund fee”, tax or commission to recover the deposit.

Source facts and Breachroad’s conclusion

The use of fictitious properties, agency impersonation and deposit collection comes from police reports. The viewing, consistency, reverse-image, authority and pressure checks are Breachroad recommendations.

The conclusion is simple: payment should not be the price of being allowed to verify an offer. Check first, sign a clear agreement second, and transfer money last. Similar principles apply to safer online shopping and identity-theft protection. Our cybersecurity training for employees teaches people to recognise pressure beyond the work inbox too.