October 10, 2024, 10:58 am | Read time: 3 minutes
The situation in the housing market has been tense for years – and there is currently no improvement in sight. In most cases, interested parties, therefore, disclose everything that is requested. And then there are the scams of criminals. You should, therefore, be particularly careful with sensitive data.
The pressure on the housing market is high in many cities. A large number of interested parties often respond to an advertisement. Not all of them even get the chance to view the apartment on offer. Real estate scammers exploit this emergency situation to make a quick buck with fake apartment advertisements on real estate platforms. Even if the apartment search is challenging and often lengthy, you should not hand over sensitive documents, as the NRW consumer advice center advises.
Be careful with sensitive documents when looking for an apartment
“Fraudsters demand the disclosure of sensitive data such as proof of salary or a copy of your identity card, even before the first apartment viewing,” explains Ayten Öksüz, expert for data protection at the NRW consumer advice center, in a press release. “They can then use this information to take further action and, for example, conclude contracts or open accounts in the name of the person concerned.”
Fraudsters take advantage of the fact that certain information is often requested when looking for accommodation. This sometimes includes proof of salary, Schufa information, and self-disclosure of personal circumstances. Many also ask for a copy of your identity card, although they are not authorized to do so. It is sufficient to present your identity card for verification.
A copy of the identity card should only be sent in the unavoidable case of concluding a tenancy agreement. In this case, irrelevant parts should be blacked out and a note such as “For housing application” written across the copy. This also applies to salary statements.
Do not transfer money in advance
A common scam is the prepayment trick. An alleged apartment owner contacts the prospective buyer and informs them they are abroad and, therefore, cannot come to the viewing. As an alternative, they offer to send the key for viewing by post or hand it over through an intermediary but ask for a deposit in advance. As soon as the money has been transferred, contact is broken off. Those affected receive neither the key nor their money back.
Recognizing dubious offers
The first indication of fake real estate advertisements is unusually low purchase and rental prices. Understated service charges can also be an indication of attempted fraud. Many real estate scammers lure you in with attractive real estate pictures, which are often copied from the Internet.
To expose this scam, the images can be uploaded to the reverse image search of a search engine. This allows you to determine whether and where the image is still being used online. It is also possible that the advertisement is a copy of an existing advertisement. This can also be uncovered by a search engine check. It is more difficult with professionally falsified advertisements that are generated with the help of artificial intelligence and appear deceptively genuine.
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What do you do if you are a victim of fraud?
If you have been the victim of fraud, do not hesitate to report the incident to the relevant police station. This can also be done online. All correspondence with the fraudster should be kept as evidence and attached to the report. This is particularly important in order to take action against unjustified claims that could result from the misuse of data.
If you receive invoices or reminders because fraudsters have concluded contracts in your name, contact the creditors immediately and inform them of the identity theft. You should also report the case of fraud to the platform operator so that they can remove the fake apartment ad and warn other potential victims.