According to Gardaí, nearly a third of all accommodation scams occur between August and September each year.

Warning signs of a potential rental scam include a landlord who claims to be abroad and unable to meet in person, and requests for a deposit before any viewing takes place.

Another common scam involves fraudsters living in the property, showing it to multiple prospective tenants, collecting deposits from several people, and then disappearing with the money.

Gardaí also noted that sometimes transactions seem legitimate until the renter discovers that the property doesn’t exist, is already occupied, or that the keys don’t work and the supposed landlord has vanished.

In July this year alone, several cases of accommodation fraud were reported to Gardaí. Twelve victims collectively lost €20,746, with individual losses ranging from €380 to €3,685, averaging €1,729 each.

Two of the victims, who were moving to Ireland from abroad, lost a combined €5,515, while the remaining ten Irish-based victims lost €15,231, averaging €1,523 each. At least eight of the victims were scammed through social media or online advertisements.

Gardaí urge potential renters to avoid agreeing to rent a property without viewing it in person, to ensure that the property is registered with the Residential Tenancies Board, to meet the landlord for a tour of the accommodation, and to verify the property’s existence on Google Maps.

Renters are also advised to obtain a payment receipt and a tenancy agreement and to avoid paying in cash.

Gardaí emphasize the importance of reporting any suspected fraud to their local Garda station, and to their bank, requesting a recall as soon as possible.