NYC Apartment-Hunters: Beware of This Listing Scam

The phrase “scam-based economy” seems to be popping up more frequently in online discourse — and it’s no wonder. Over the past few decades, scamming has become both easier and more lucrative for unscrupulous types given the relative anonymity of the internet. And when scammy internet-driven activity meets the decadent and sometimes shady world of New York City real estate, the results can be disheartening to any renter who just dreams of finding a place to call home without the process exhausting their patience and their finances.

According to Brick Underground, more than 500 renters were duped by various schemes in 2023 alone. While that may sound like a drop in the bucket, keep in mind that’s still nearly two renters per day handing over hard-earned money (to the tune of nearly $6 million!). Deception adds up. And those are just the people who report it.

What to Watch Out For?

Like we said, real estate in New York City is lucrative — a big reason renters are such a target — but the weird particulars of New York rentals can be confusing to navigate for even a seasoned renter, much less someone new to the city. The bottom line? If a broker (or, more likely, someone representing themselves as a broker) asks for cash to see an apartment, cease contact immediately. No reputable broker is going to require you to put up stakes just to look at an apartment. While that might be an easy catch for many renters, other aspects of the process can be more confusing. They might even ask you to pay to apply, pay to secure the unit, or make a payment toward rent all before you’ve even seen the place. Not legal and not good but it can be easier to fall for these scams than we often care to admit.

In general, the following could all indicate someone is trying to steal your hard-earned money: listings that seem too good to be true, agents with emails that don’t seem quite right (think professionals with a known brokerage name in their handle but that ends in an aol or gmail dot com), or a confused broker/scammer representing themselves as someone who doesn’t seem to have had contact with you despite you calling their office’s direct line.

RC Pro Tip: One way to do your research is by looking at their Google Reviews. Be sure to scroll through and read the five-star and one-star reviews, and using best judgment to determine the legitimacy of the reviews.

What To Do If You Think You’ve Been Scammed?

Taking these steps may or may not get you your money back but they could prevent someone else from being duped in the future (plus, the payback is satisfying). If you’re a renter in NYC who has been duped, reach out to the NYPD immediately by calling or visiting your local precinct and filing a report.

Next, you’ll want to notify the appropriate agency. The easiest way to do this is typically to contact the state’s Attorney General office via their online form. The Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) also has its own form, which you can find here.

The next step is to escalate it to the Feds. The FTC accepts fraud complaints here, while you can also file a complaint with the FBI through their Internet Crime Complaint Center. As always, take care out there and never pay just to see an apartment, no matter how desperate the rental market can feel. That desperation is what scammers are counting on, and it can be easier to be scammed than you might think. Don’t give them the satisfaction (or your money).

If you liked this article, see more on what we have about protecting yourself from rental scams.

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