A flat listing on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace looks perfect — but the landlord wants a deposit before you can view it
A rental listing on Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, or SpareRoom looks like a great deal. The "landlord" is out of the country and asks for a holding deposit before viewing. The property either doesn't belong to them or doesn't exist. Common with international students and first-time renters.
Also known as: fake flat listing scam, Gumtree rental fraud, Airbnb rental scam UK, Facebook Marketplace flat scam, student accommodation fraud
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Never pay any money before viewing a property in person and seeing photo ID of the person letting it to you
- 2 Reverse-image search the listing photos on Google — scam photos usually appear on Rightmove or Zoopla under a different address or as a for-sale listing
- 3 Check the landlord's name against Land Registry title records at https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry — small fee, worth it for a large deposit
- 4 Use a letting agent or platform that holds your deposit in a Government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme (TDS, MyDeposits, DPS)
- 5 If you've already paid: contact your bank and Action Fraud immediately — money sent by faster payment can occasionally be recalled if reported within hours
- 6 If you're a student, ask your university accommodation office — they maintain lists of vetted landlords and known scam listings
- 7 Report to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
Red flags
- ⚠ The price is noticeably below market rate for the area — real listings match Rightmove and Zoopla comparables
- ⚠ The photos are professional and identical to a listing on Rightmove, Zoopla, or OnTheMarket for a genuine flat that is being sold, not rented
- ⚠ The 'landlord' is abroad (Nigeria, Germany, Malaysia, on an oil rig) and cannot show the flat in person
- ⚠ They ask for a holding deposit, key delivery fee, or first month's rent by bank transfer, PayPal Friends & Family, or gift card before any viewing
- ⚠ Communication moves quickly to WhatsApp or email — the message tone is often urgent because 'other applicants are interested'
- ⚠ The tenancy agreement is emailed as a PDF and looks generic — no letting agent, no property inventory, no reference check
Known variants
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'Overseas key delivery' variant: after paying the holding deposit, the fake landlord says they'll courier the keys from wherever they are abroad and asks for a £150 'international courier fee' via Western Union. Neither the keys nor the flat exist.
Last seen: 5/30/2026
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Fake letting agent variant: the scam impersonates a real UK letting agency (Foxtons, Savills), uses a similar-looking domain, and asks for reservation fees to be paid to a personal Monzo, Starling, or Wise account rather than a client account. Common with international students arriving in September.
Last seen: 6/15/2026