How do you avoid roommate and rental scams online?

• Deposit before viewing. A “landlord” or roommate who's conveniently out of town and needs a deposit to “hold” the room.
• Fake listings. Real photos (often stolen from a real listing) at a too-good price to harvest deposits or personal info.
• Overpayment scam. They “accidentally” send too much and ask you to refund the difference — the original payment later bounces.
• Phishing for documents. Requests for ID, banking details, or an application fee before you've met or seen anything.

1. Never pay before you view the place and meet the person — in person or, at minimum, on a live video call.
2. Be suspicious of any rent that's well below market for the area.
3. Never wire money, send gift cards, or use irreversible payment methods to someone you haven't met.
4. Reverse-image-search listing photos to check they aren't stolen.
5. Keep the conversation on-platform until you've verified; scammers push to move to text or email fast.
6. Don't share ID or banking details until you've confirmed the person and the lease are real.

Confirm the person is who they say they are (a video call defeats most fakes), confirm they actually live at or control the property, and trust your gut: pressure to act fast “because others are interested” is a manipulation tactic, not a real deadline. Platforms with identity verification reduce — but don't eliminate — the risk, so keep these habits regardless.