Rental scam message examples: the red flags in each line, annotated

"I'm abroad, so I can't show it" — the no-viewing line

This is the most common opening. It sounds like bad luck; it is really the load-bearing lie of the whole con.

• The line: "Hi! I'm working abroad right now, so an in-person viewing isn't possible — but the place is yours if you decide quickly."
• The tell: a viewing is the one step a fraudster cannot fake. "Abroad", "offshore job", "moved for family" all exist to delete it. A real owner wants you to come and look.
• The safe reply: "I only rent after seeing a place in person — can a friend, agent or family member show it?" A genuine owner arranges that; a scammer changes the subject or goes quiet.

Check a message free

"Pay the deposit to reserve it" — money before the visit

Once you show interest, the pressure arrives: pay now, or lose it to someone else.

• The line: "There's a lot of interest, so to hold the room for you I need the deposit and first month today."
• The tell: urgency plus payment before a viewing or a signed contract reverses the normal order. In a real Dutch tenancy you pay at signing, after you have seen the place and read the contract.
• The safe reply: "I'm happy to pay the deposit at signing, once I've viewed the place." Remember the deposit is capped at 2 months' bare rent for contracts signed from 1 July 2023 — a larger "reservation fee" is itself a flag.

"Send an ID copy" and "let's move to WhatsApp"

These two often arrive together and early, before you have any reason to trust the person on the other side.

• The ID line: "Please send a photo of your passport and a payslip so I know you're serious." The tell: identity documents are worth money to fraudsters, and a landlord needs them at the contract stage, not to "reserve" a viewing. Never send an ID copy to an unverified contact; if you must share it later, use a watermarked copy marked with the purpose and the date.
• The WhatsApp line: "It's easier if we just talk on WhatsApp — here's my number." The tell: moving off the platform strips away moderation and the paper trail. Keep the conversation where you found it until you have viewed the place and verified who owns it.

"I'll post the keys after you transfer" — the price and the account

These are the endgame lines. By now the chat asks for money and promises the home will follow.

• The keys line: "As soon as the transfer arrives I'll courier the keys to your address." The tell: there are no keys and no courier, and the "tracking link" is a fake page. Keys change hands in person, at the property.
• The price line: "I know the rent is low — I care about a good tenant, not maximum profit." The tell: a price far below the going rate is bait, and the friendly excuse is scripted. Compare it against the city benchmark before you do anything.
• The account line: "Transfer to [a non-NL IBAN], account name [someone else], and email me at [a free webmail address]." The tell: a private or foreign IBAN, a name that is not the landlord's, and a free webmail address together mean no verified business — and money that is hard to claw back.

What does each message line really signal?

Read as a translation table, the script gives itself away. Each comforting line maps to the same underlying goal: your money before your proof.

• When several of these stack up, stop and verify before you pay: compare the rent to the local benchmark, insist on an in-person viewing, and verify the owner against the land registry — a match / no-match on the name you were given. Pay only by SEPA to a Dutch IBAN in that same name, at contract signing.

What if I've already replied?

Replying is not paying. If you have only chatted, stop, keep the messages as evidence, and run the listing through a check before any money moves. If you have already transferred, act within hours: call your bank for a SEPA recall, report internetoplichting to the police, and notify the Fraudehelpdesk. Recovery is never guaranteed — which is exactly why spotting the message early matters most.

Frequently asked questions