BiggerPockets Daily What to Watch Out For With Rental Scams
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Oct 25, 2025 Explore the alarming rise of rental scams targeting landlords, especially vulnerable mom-and-pop operations. Discover common schemes like fake listings and overpayment scams. Learn how AI is making fraud more sophisticated with realistic forged documents. Geographic hotspots like Atlanta and Dallas face escalating risks. Practical tips include comprehensive background checks, monitoring listings, and secure payment methods. With scams evolving, it's crucial for landlords to stay vigilant and strengthen their defenses.
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Fraud Is Widespread In Rental Applications
- Rental application fraud is widespread, with 93% of landlords seeing fake documents and 84% finding false income or employment claims.
- Snapped estimates 6.4% of rental applications in 2024 were fraudulent, showing fraud is common and rising.
Fake Listings Steal Deposits And Rent
- Scammers post fake listings and collect deposits or rent, leaving victims unable to occupy the property.
- Victims often lose thousands before they discover the property isn't theirs to rent.
AI Greatly Increases Forgery Risks
- AI is making document forgery and voice impersonation far more convincing and harder to detect.
- Advanced AI voice and document synthesis mean landlords can no longer trust simple verbal checks.