The US rental market is largely honest and works from written leases, standard deposits, and background checks. Scams do exist, and they cluster around new international students who are searching from India, are in a hurry, and do not yet know the rhythm of a normal transaction.
The pattern is remarkably consistent across cities. A student sees an apartment listing on Facebook Marketplace, a WhatsApp group for their university, or Craigslist. The price is a little below the market. The photos look professional. The person listing it is warm, communicative, and responds in minutes. Within a day or two, they are asking for a security deposit — sent by Zelle, wire, or a gift card — before your child has walked the unit. That is the entire scam, run thousands of times a year, and it works because the emotional pressure of not having housing lined up before landing is enormous.
The pattern to recognise
A listing looks great. The 'landlord' is warm and responsive on WhatsApp. They ask for a Zelle or wire transfer for a security deposit before your child has seen the unit. When your child asks to see the apartment, there is a story — the landlord is out of town, the current tenant is unavailable, they will send the keys.
Any variation of this is a scam. Every legitimate landlord in the US wants a signed lease and a background check before your child moves in. Every legitimate broker will show the unit in person or over video with proof of address.
The variations we see most often, in order: the 'landlord' is a missionary in another country and cannot show the unit; the 'landlord' is relocating for work and wants a quiet, responsible tenant; the current tenant will Zelle the deposit and hand over the keys tomorrow; the lease will be sent after the deposit is received. Every one of these is the same fraud with different set dressing. The tell is always the same — money before physical verification.
Safe habits, listed plainly
- Never send a deposit before someone has physically walked the unit — either your child, a trusted friend already in the city, or an agent working for you
- Prefer buildings managed by named property-management companies with a public office you can visit, over individual landlords on informal marketplaces
- Cross-check the listing address against the county's public property records, which usually confirm the owner's name
- Insist on a written lease that you review before signing, not a screenshot or a scan of a signed page
- Pay deposits by cheque or bank transfer to a registered US business account, never by gift card, cryptocurrency, or Western Union
- Ask for a copy of the property's certificate of occupancy or the equivalent local document if anything about the ownership feels unclear
What we do
For students in our network we review the lease before signing, verify the property against county records, and prefer housing partners we have used before. Where we do not have a prior relationship with a building, we arrange for a physical or live-video walkthrough with someone we trust in that city before any money moves. That is not glamorous work. It is the reason no student we have supported has lost a deposit — and it is also the reason the first-week housing conversation with families we work with is calm rather than urgent.
If you or your child are searching independently, the single most protective habit is patience. Every scam relies on the target believing they must act today. Sleeping on a decision, insisting on an in-person visit, and being willing to walk away from a good-looking listing costs nothing and prevents almost every loss.