Gardaí issue accommodation fraud warning ahead of CAO offers
As thousands of students celebrate Leaving Certificate results and await third-level CAO offers tomorrow, An Garda Síochána has issued a nationwide warning regarding a sharp annual spike in accommodation fraud.
Crime figures for the first seven months of 2026 reveal over 230 reports of rental and reservations scams, with total reported losses standing at over €400,000.
This comes ahead of the seasonal peak – historically August and October - as returning and first-time students scramble to find housing.
Rental scams generally fall into three distinct categories during the high-pressure college search season:
• The Absent Landlord: The scammer claims to be out of the country and demands an upfront deposit before keys or physical access can be provided.
• The Fake Host/Mass Showing: The fraudster poses as an occupant or fake agent, showing the property to multiple prospective tenants, collecting deposits from all of them, and disappearing.
• The Key Failure: The transaction appears entirely legitimate until the tenant arrives with their belongings only to discover the keys do not work, the property is already occupied, or the landlord has vanished.
Highlighting the need for vigilance during the high-pressure college search, Detective Inspector Alan Govern of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) strongly advised students and parents to stick strictly to verified channels:
"Students should only use recognised letting agencies or deal with people who are bona fide and trusted. If searching online, always check the URL to ensure it is a real website and take note of the privacy and refund policy sections.
"Be very wary of social media advertisements or where a person letting the property will only communicate via Messenger or WhatsApp. You should push for direct answers; if responses are vague, disengage immediately.
"If you have decided to take up an offer, only use trusted money transfer systems - I would recommend using a credit card. Never transfer money directly, pay cash, or pay into cryptocurrency wallets."
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) advises students and parents to look out for critical warning signs:
• Unrealistically low prices: if a room or apartment costs significantly less than others in the same area, it is almost certainly a trick.
• They rush you: Scammers try to panic you into paying quickly by claiming it's a "once-in-a-lifetime offer" or demanding money immediately before you've even signed a lease.
• They want unusual or untraceable payment: be suspicious if they ask you to pay in cash, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or through peer-to-peer transfer apps where you cannot get your money back.
• They refuse to let you see the place: If the "landlord" always has an excuse for why you can’t do an in-person walkthrough or meet face-to-face, then walk away.
Advice for students seeking housing:
• Always physically view the accommodation and ensure keys fit by opening the locks before handing over any money.
• Pay using a credit card or secure, traceable banking methods where consumer protections apply. Never pay via cash, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer apps to strangers.
• Use the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) rent index to benchmark average asking prices in the local college area.
• Ask for official photo identification (such as a driver's licence or passport) and ensure the property is registered with the RTB.
• Reverse-image search property photos online to ensure they have not been stolen from other legitimate advertisements.