Fake application links that borrow a listing site’s name
You found the home on a well-known listing site, and now a message asks you to complete the application through a link. The page looks right and uses the site’s name, but it isn’t the site. It collects your Social Security number, your ID and an application fee for nothing.
How it usually goes
- 01An inquiry on a real listing site
Or a copy of a listing that names a well-known site.
- 02A message with a link
By text or email, asking you to “complete your application” or “verify your identity”.
- 03A look-alike pageMoney moves
It asks for your SSN, a photo of your ID, your bank or card details, and a fee.
- 04Your details are used elsewhere
The fee is gone, and your information can be used to open accounts in your name.
What it sounds like
To finish your application please click this link and complete the form first, upload a photo of your driver’s license and your SSN, and pay the $55 application fee. Do not reply on the site, text me at this number only.
Check thisfull application before a viewing
…your application please click this link and complete the form first, upload a photo of your driver’s license and…The FTC describes scammers asking for a completed application with your personal details to steal your identity. You can see the place before you apply.
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thisasks for a photo of your ID
…link and complete the form first, upload a photo of your driver’s license and your SSN, and pay the $55 application fee.…A picture of your driver’s license is one of the details the FTC says scammers collect to steal your identity.
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thisasks for your Social Security number early
…a photo of your driver’s license and your SSN, and pay the $55 application fee. Do not reply…The FTC: “Until you’ve agreed to rent a place, a landlord doesn’t need your Social Security number, credit score, or other sensitive information.”
Source: Rental Listing ScamsCheck thismoves you off the listing site
…$55 application fee. Do not reply on the site, text me at this number only.Copied listings swap the real agent’s contact details for the scammer’s. The FTC says to search the address and contact the owner or company through details you find yourself.
Source: Rental Listing ScamsWhat to do
- Don’t use links in messages. Open the listing site or app yourself and apply from the listing page.
- Check the web address in your browser before typing anything. If you’re unsure, close it.
- If you entered your SSN or ID, follow the recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
- Report the message to the listing site and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Why this works, and what is normal
This is phishing with a rental story attached. The FTC’s general advice on phishing and scams applies: honest organisations won’t message you out of the blue asking for your Social Security or bank account numbers, and it is best not to click links in unexpected messages; contact the company through a website you know is real.
The FTC’s rental advice adds that a landlord doesn’t need your Social Security number until you have agreed to rent the place.
Warning signs
- A link sent by text or email instead of an application inside the site or app
- A web address that isn’t the listing site’s own domain
- SSN and ID requested before a viewing
- Told not to use the site’s own messaging
Paste it into Before-You-Pay. It quotes the triggers from your own text and never sends it anywhere.