Scam Check: check a rental before you pay

About to pay a deposit, application fee or "hold" fee? Paste the listing and the message asking for money. Snestico's Scam Check compares the contact, price and status with the real listing, looks for earlier reports of the same listing, phone or email, and checks how you are being asked to pay.

You get a plain verdict (likely scam, be careful, or looks OK) with the reasons, questions to ask before you pay and safe ways to pay, and you can report a scam in one tap to warn the next renter. Scam Check is free; it needs a free Snestico account because each check looks up the listing and runs an AI review.

About to pay a deposit or application fee? Paste the listing and what they sent you. Snestico checks the real listing, its contact and earlier reports, and tells you what to do before any money changes hands.

Free, always Needs a free account: each check looks up the listing and runs an AI review

How Scam Check works

1. Step 1

   Paste what you were sent

   The listing link or address, the message or email asking for money, who sent it and how they want to be paid. Screenshots work too.

2. Step 2

   We check it

   We look up the real listing and compare its contact, price and status with what you were sent, look for earlier reports of the same listing, phone or email, and check for known scam patterns.

3. Step 3

   Know what to do next

   A plain verdict (likely scam, be careful, or looks OK) with the reasons, questions to ask before paying, and safe ways to pay.

4. Step 4

   Warn the next renter

   Report it in one tap, so the next person who checks the same listing or contact sees the warning.

Red flags we look for

• Asked to pay a deposit or "hold" fee before you have seen the home
• Payment by wire, gift cards, crypto, or Zelle, Venmo or Cash App to someone you have not met
• The landlord is "out of the country" and will mail the keys
• Rent far below similar homes nearby
• A contact that is not the one on the real listing

What Scam Check can't do

It can't prove a listing is safe. A "looks OK" result means we found none of the warning signs we check for, not that the person is who they say they are. Tour the home (or send someone you trust), check who owns it in county records, and sign the lease before you pay.

More on staying safe: safety tips , the trust & safety guide and the Lease Checker .

Asked to pay before you have seen it?

Check it first. It takes a minute, and it's the cheapest moment to find out.

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Common questions

Is Scam Check free?

Yes. Scam Check, reporting a scam and the safety tips are free for everyone and stay free. You need a free account to run a check, because each check looks up the listing and asks the AI.

What does Scam Check look at?

The listing link or address, the message you got, who is asking for money, how much and how they want to be paid. It compares that with the real listing where it can find one, with earlier reports from other renters, and with the patterns of common rental scams.

Does "looks OK" mean the rental is safe?

No. It means none of the warning signs we check for showed up. Still tour the home or send someone you trust, check who owns it in county records, and sign the lease before you pay anything.

How should I pay a deposit safely?

After you have seen the home and signed the lease, pay by check, card or the landlord's tenant portal, and keep a receipt. Never pay by wire, gift cards or crypto, or by Zelle, Venmo or Cash App to someone you haven't met.