Gardaí warn students against accommodation fraud
An Garda Síochána is advising that accommodation fraud typically peaks at this time of year.
The advice follows Friday's Leaving Certificate results and this week's third-level CAO offers.
So far in the first six months of 2025, reports of accommodation fraud are up by 22%, with approximately 160 cases recorded by An Garda Síochána.
Reported losses total €385,000, compared with €617,000 for the full year of 2024.
Rental fraud occurs when a victim pays money to rent accommodation (typically in the form of a deposit) and subsequently discovers that the transaction was fraudulent.
Examples of rental fraud include where the fraudster claims to be out of the country and cannot show the renter the property unless they pay a deposit. The victim pays the deposit and is left at a loss.
The fraudster could also be living in the property and shows a number of people the property, gets a deposit from several people and then disappears with the money.
The transaction can also appear normal until the renter finds that the property doesn’t exist, is already occupied or the keys do not work and the landlord has disappeared.
Red flags
A spokesperson from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) advised that there are a number of red flags or warning signs.
"If the rent seems too good to be true, then it probably is. There is no such thing as cheap accommodation especially in urban areas," they advised.
The Gardaí also warn would-be renters to exercise caution if there is "a sense of urgency like a one-time offer or if the listing contains "grammar or spelling mistakes" and/or there are "very limited details or pictures of the property".
Be wary when communication is only available through text or WhatsApp or other social media platforms, or if you are asked to pay cash cryptocurrency or money via a non-bank transfer or if you are asked to send the money to a different country.
More advice on accommodation fraud and crime prevention is available on the An Garda Síochána website.