There was a 38% increase in accommodation fraud last year when compared to 2021.
One third of all accommodation fraud occurs during August and September, when students return to college.
Gardaí have today advised people, especially students, to be wary of rental scams.
The return to college timeframe shows an annual spike in accommodation fraud.
Over half of victims of accommodation fraud are aged under 25, while half of incidents happen in Dublin.
Approximately 55% of victims of are female, and around €2 million was stolen in accommodation fraud in last five years.
Gardaí say examples of rental fraud include, the fraudster claiming to be out of the country and cannot show the renter the property unless they pay a deposit, the fraudster is living in the property and shows a number of people the property, gets a deposit from several people and then disappears with the money, and the transaction appears normal until the renter finds that the property doesn’t exist, is already occupied or the keys do not work.
Students are being urged to do their own research, only use recognised letting agencies, know consumer rights, research the locale and what the average asking prices are, and to meet with the landlord for a tour of the accommodation.
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau says “if the rent seems too good to be true, then it probably is”.
