Rental scams can happen quickly, especially when people are searching for a home in a competitive rental market. Scammers may advertise fake properties, copy photos from genuine listings, pretend to be landlords or letting agents, and pressure potential tenants into paying money before proper checks have been carried out.
Social media and messaging apps can make these scams feel convincing. A fraudster may use Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, online groups or marketplace-style adverts to make contact, then ask for a holding deposit, rent in advance or personal information before disappearing.
Government figures show that the resulting fraud losses amounted to nearly £9 million across around 5,000 reported cases in 2025.
This does not mean that every rental advert on social media is a scam, but it does mean extra care should be taken before sending money, personal documents or payment details to anyone they have only spoken to online.
Be cautious if someone:
- asks for payment before you, or someone you trust, has viewed the property in person
- says they're abroad, ill, travelling, or otherwise unable to meet you
- offers a property at a rent that seems much cheaper than nearby properties
- pressures you to pay quickly because "other people are interested"
- asks for copies of ID, bank details or other sensitive information before you have verified who they are
- claims to be acting for a landlord or agent but cannot prove their connection to the property
- uses a social media profile with limited history, few photos, very recent activity or inconsistent details
As advice to tenants, Alison Farrar of the NTSELAT added:
“The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team would urge all tenants to research any letting agency, landlord and property before agreeing to hand over any money. It’s advisable to research the agent on lots of review sites and use the internet if possible to check the property is genuine.”
At Letco, we reiterate that we would never ask for payment via social media. We will NEVER ask you to make a payment for anything via social media or ask you to share information from your payment cards with us in this way. We have strict processes for this sort of transaction which only operate via colleagues in our branches. If you are ever unsure about whether any contact from us is genuine, please contact your local branch yourself by phone and speak to one of the team.
You should only use official Letco payment routes, your My Letco account area, or payment instructions confirmed directly with your local branch. If you receive a social media message, WhatsApp message, text or email asking you to make a payment and you are not sure it is genuine, do not reply, do not click any links and do not send any money.
If you think you are being targeted by a rental scam:
- stop communicating with the suspected scammer
- do not send any more money, documents or personal information
- contact your bank immediately if you have made a payment
- contact the real letting agent or company if their name, logo, property details or images are being used
- report the scam to the appropriate fraud reporting service
If you are in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can report fraud through Report Fraud or call 0300 123 2040. Report Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime where you should report fraud if you have been scammed, defrauded or experienced cybercrime.
In Scotland, you should report fraud to Police Scotland by calling 101. For more information, please see here.
You can also report suspicious emails, texts, websites and online adverts to the National Cyber Security Centre. Suspicious emails can be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk. Suspicious text messages can be forwarded to 7726.