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# Too Good to be True
That theoretical two-bedroom flat in the heart of Dublin for €750 a month is probably a scam
While property sites work hard to root out scammers, people should still be extremely vigilant.
OVER THE LAST couple of years the Dublin rental market has become pretty difficult to negotiate.
The mad scramble for properties can leave people exposed to fraudsters looking to prey on those desperate for affordable accommodation.
If you are looking for a property now, or at any point in the future, make sure to stay aware and look out for scams.
What types of scams do people try and carry out?
According to Daft.ie, there are two types of scams that people need to watch out for: the meet-and-greet scam and the email deposit scam.
The meet-and-greet scam is the simpler of the two and takes places once you have expressed an interest in a property and met up with the person who is looking to lease the property.
The person will then ask for a deposit in exchange for the keys of the house. Once this has taken place, the victim will then discover that the keys for the property do not fit and the person they thought they were renting off is no longer contactable.
The email deposit scam operates in a similar way, except that interactions take place via email. The money for a month or two months’ deposit is transferred into the person’s bank account with the promise that the keys to the home will be sent out.
What should people look out for?
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Martin Clancy from Daft.ie explained:
Rental tenants are normally the target for these types of scams. Our advice would be to remain vigilant and wary at all times. The vast majority of people are genuine however.
“In the unlikely event of this happening, we operate a robust take-down policy. Our advice is though, if something looks too good to be true, it generally is,” he said.
Some of the things that people need to look out for are:
- Long-distance landlords – it is much hard to hold someone accountable if they are in a foreign country.
- Hard luck stories – look out for people giving personal or financial reasons as to why they are unable to come and meet you.
- Suspicious email addresses - if someone emails you claiming to be from Daft.ie or another rental website asking for login details, immediately report it to the relevant website.
