Most people looking for a place to rent start their search online. Internet listings provide a wealth of information beyond price — pictures, floor plans, amenities, perks and a detailed description of the property.

But many of these listing are bogus, created by scammers who hope to steal thousands of dollars in upfront fees for a place they don’t own or don’t have the right to rent. Some properties may not even be for rent.

A report from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) calls it a “massive” problem, that’s getting worse.

“Millions of listings for apartment, house and vacation rentals are totally fake,” said Steve Baker, BBB international investigations specialist. “So the chances of coming across a scam rental listing are extremely high.”

A survey by Apartment List conducted in 2018 found that:

43 percent of those who shopped for an apartment online have encountered a bogus listing.

5.2 million people have lost money to rental scams in the U.S.

Renters between the ages of 19 to 29 are more likely to lose money this way.

Of those who did get fooled, the median loss was $400, the survey found. But 31 percent lost more than $1,000 and nearly 18 percent lost more than $2,000.

A scam that's easy to commit

It doesn’t take much to create a fake rental ad. Fraudsters can copy a legitimate ad — photos and description — and simply swap out their contact information for the real landlord or management company. Most sites use algorithms to spot scam rental listings, but the BBB report says the technology used to screen rental listings “can be evaded or circumvented by smart and determined scammers.”

Phony listings can be anywhere — even on “reputable apartment advertising services,” cautioned Amy Groff, senior vice president of industry operations at the National Apartment Association. “Unfortunately, the scams continue to increase.”

To lure in their victims, the fraudsters often offer a rent that’s well-below market price. When someone responds, they’re pressured to send money right away without even seeing the place.

“Even if you're desperate to get a place to live, don't send your money off first,” cautioned Bridget Small, educational specialist at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). “When someone is pressuring you to act now, it's never a good thing. You need to take time to check it out.”

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The crooks typically want the money sent by wire transfer or gift card, something that can't be traced and can't be reversed. It’s never a good idea to send money to someone you’ve never met in person for an apartment you haven’t seen, the FTC cautions.