Renter Beware: How to Protect Yourself from Housing Scams

If an apartment listing seems too good to be true, it probably is.

AARP Arizona has some tips on how to make sure you don’t fall for it anyway.

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, the amount reported lost to real estate and rental scams nationwide increased by 64 percent from 2020 to 2021. One way scammers target renters is by advertising low rent prices in online ads.

In the Phoenix area, a lot of those prices are fiction. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the metro area is about $1,600 a month. If you spot a listing promising something much cheaper, it could be a scam. Other red flags: not being able to physically meet the listing’s contact, or the contact asking you to wire money, such as for a security deposit.

Protect yourself from such scams by visiting aarp.org/fraud. At the site, sign up for watchdog alerts, or you can text “FWN” to 50757 to receive text alerts.