Bored Of Fraud

This weekend a community spirited Ronster alerted me to a suspicious flat advert that appeared on my site. Unfortunately, fraudsters are active on all housing platforms and occasionally they pop up on my pages too. Whilst i do everything i can to stop these vile people advertising on my site you Ronsters need to be vigilant too. Here’s a few tips to spot fake ads.

Location, location, location

Be smart, if the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is. If you’re new to Zurich compare this offer to others. Of course there are still some truly cheap and wonderful flats in Zurich. But just be aware! And check the address to make sure that it actually exists.

«Unfortunately, i live abroad…»

This is a big red flashing warning sign. If people want money to change hands before you have seen the property or seen an official contract then it is almost a sure sign of a fraud. Never, ever, hand money over until you have seen the property or an official contract has been received. 

Pictures

Fake ads often show pictures from the inside only. Just do a reverse picture search on Google to see if the displayed images were already used for other flats.

Air bnb

Currently, many fraudster use Airbnb. Scenario A: They rent a flat via Airbnb and pretend that it‘s their own. Tricky to find that out. Just make sure you don’t transfer money to a personal account. Scenario B: They pretend that the deal is through Airbnb but they sent you to a fake website. In either case, if it feels weird – back off!

Tell me

If you discover a fake ad on my page, let me know. Either send me an e-mail to [email protected] or let me know via the Spam-Button (see picture below), and i’ll have a closer look. 

Above all, trust your intuition. Flat deposits and rents are a lot of money and if it feels wrong then back away from the deal.