GARDAÍ ARE WARNING new college students to be wary of scams as they search for accommodation options ahead of the new academic year.

Leaving Certificate students received their exam results on Friday and offers for third-level places will be released this week.

Many students will be looking to secure accommodation near colleges, and scammers are known to try to take advantage of the influx of new renters.

In the first six months of 2025, reports of accommodation fraud are up by 22% to around 160 cases, according to garda figures.

Reported losses through accommodation fraud have totalled €385,000 so far this year, compared with €617,000 for the full year of 2024.

Last year, approximately one third of all accommodation fraud reports occurred in August or September.

Garda statistics show that 34% of victims of accommodation fraud are under the age of 25, and 66% of victims are under the age of 33.

Gardaí are urging people to be wary of rental or reservation scams.

Rental fraud occurs when a victim pays money to rent accommodation (often in the form of a deposit) and later finds out that the transaction was fraudulent, while reservation fraud occurs when a person pays for a hotel/guesthouse room and subsequently discovers that the transaction was fraudulent.

Gardaí have released a list of advice for students on how to try to avoid being scammed.

“Do your own research on the advertisement and the property. Only use recognised letting agencies or deal with people who are bona fide and trusted ie, the college or student unions,” a garda statement said.

Students should “be wary of cloned websites: ensure the site is real – check the URL, look for the trust seals; check the privacy policy, refunds policy section, contact sections, even for spelling errors; check the website’s policy on refunds”.

“Know your consumer rights. They are protected if a legitimate site is used. If you have decided to take up the offer only use trusted money transfer systems – An Garda Síochána would recommend using a credit card,” it said.

It encouraged students to “never agree to rent a property without first having the opportunity to view it”.

It told students: “Do not hand over cash or make a Revolut payment or send money to an account or pay by cryptocurrency – pay in a way that is traceable and/or refundable.”

“Insist upon a proper receipt and a tenancy agreement (get someone to look at it if you are unfamiliar with tenancy agreements),” the garda statement said.

“Don’t enter into off-site communications for a lower cash price.

“Never give personal, financial or security information to persons who are unknown to you.

“Never transfer money direct, pay cash, iTunes vouchers or pay into cryptocurrency wallets.”