Rental Scam Report: what Scam Check sees

By Ankush Das, founder and CEO of Snestico · Published

The Rental Scam Report shows what renters run into before they pay: how many rentals checked on Snestico look like scams, which warning signs come up most, and how people are asked to send money. The figures come from Scam Check and update every hour.

Every time someone runs a Scam Check, on the site or signed out, Snestico counts the result anonymously: the verdict, how they were asked to pay and which warning signs fired. Nothing that identifies the renter, the landlord or the listing is kept for the report. The FTC says people reported nearly 65,000 rental scams and about $65 million in losses between January 2020 and June 2025, and that most scams are never reported (FTC Data Spotlight, December 2025); these figures show what the warning signs look like before money moves.

How the figures are made

Each check adds one anonymous row: the verdict (likely a scam, be careful, or no red flags), the payment method and purpose the renter was asked for, and the warning signs Scam Check found. Shares are worked out over the past 12 months and published only once there are at least 50 checks, so no figure rests on a handful of cases.

The verdicts come from fixed rules plus an AI read of the listing and messages. A 'likely a scam' verdict means several strong warning signs, not proof of fraud, and 'no red flags' means none of the signs below were found, not a guarantee.

The warning signs Scam Check counts

  • Asked for money before a viewing, or the renter hasn't been inside
  • Asked to pay by wire transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency
  • An owner who is away or overseas and offers to mail the keys
  • A landlord who won't show the home, or only a video tour
  • Pressure to pay quickly, or no lease or application
  • Requests for sensitive personal details early
  • Rent far below the real listing, or a home for sale offered for rent
  • A real listing that isn't on the market, or a contact that doesn't match it
  • A company writing from a personal email address
  • More than two months' rent up front, or an unusually large application fee
  • A listing, phone number or email already reported by other renters

If you have already paid

  • Contact your bank or payment app right away and ask to stop or reverse the payment
  • Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
  • File a report with your local police and keep every message, receipt and ad
  • Report the listing to the site where you found it, and on Snestico with the Report button

Using these figures

Universities, housing offices, journalists and renter groups are welcome to quote the figures on this page with a link to it. For questions about how they are made, email support@snestico.ai.

Common questions

Where do these figures come from?

From Scam Check, Snestico's free tool that reviews a rental listing and the messages a renter received. Each check is counted anonymously: its verdict, how the renter was asked to pay and which warning signs were found.

Do the figures include personal information?

No. The report keeps no listing, message, name, phone number, email address or account, only the verdict, payment method, purpose and warning signs of each check.

Is a 'likely a scam' verdict proof of fraud?

No. It means a rental showed several strong warning signs, such as a request for money before a viewing. Verify the landlord and the listing yourself before you pay anything.

Sources

How this was made: drafted with AI assistance, then reviewed and edited by Ankush Das, who checks every fact against the sources listed before it is published or updated.