Consumer organisation Which? claims there are some 1,000 reports of rental fraud scam a month at this time of year.
It says the start of the academic year sees a scramble to secure accommodation from students making last-minute choices on iniversities and colleges.
Which? calculates that this leads to £2.7m lost as prospective tenants pay deposits or so-called viewing fees to fake landlords, often advertising on social media and then being impossible to trace.
The organisation says these scams can be incredibly convincing.
One new student lost £1,500 after being convinced by a fake landlord to pay a deposit to view a property. The scammer provided official-looking paperwork, a tenancy agreement, a passport for proof of ID and an apparent video tour of the property. After paying the money, the victim was blocked by the ‘landlord’.
Which? says: “Don’t trust listings you find on social media. Use a letting agent or official housing provided by your University. Letting agents should be a member of a redress scheme – the Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme.
“If in doubt, trust your instincts. Never make a payment to a stranger via bank transfer or PayPal’s ‘friends and family’ option.
If you’ve lost money to a rental scam, contact your bank immediately and report the scam to Action Fraud, or the police if you are in Scotland.”
It has issued this guide: questions to ask when choosing a rental property.