What to Do if You've Been Scammed by a Landlord

If you have been scammed, act quickly. The first 24 to 48 hours are critical:

• Contact your bank immediately: Call your bank's fraud team. If you paid by bank transfer, ask them to attempt a recall of the payment. Under the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM), participating banks may refund victims of authorised push payment (APP) fraud. The sooner you report, the higher the chance of recovery.
• Stop all further payments: Do not send any more money, even if the scammer pressures you with threats or promises.
• Preserve all evidence: Screenshot every message, email, listing, and receipt. Save phone numbers, email addresses, and bank details used by the scammer. Do not delete anything.
• Change your passwords: If you shared any personal information (ID documents, bank details, employment records), change passwords for your email and banking immediately. Consider a credit check to ensure no identity fraud.

Do not feel embarrassed. Rental scams are sophisticated and affect thousands of people every year. The important thing is to act fast.

Report the scam to all relevant authorities:

• Action Fraud (0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk): The UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. They will give you a crime reference number, which you need for insurance claims and bank disputes.
• Your local police (101): While Action Fraud handles most fraud reports centrally, report to local police if you feel threatened or if the scammer knows your address.
• The listing platform: Report the fraudulent listing on Rightmove, Zoopla, OpenRent, SpareRoom, Facebook Marketplace, or wherever you found it. Include the crime reference number.
• Trading Standards: Contact your local authority's Trading Standards team, especially if the scammer posed as a letting agent or property professional.
• The Property Ombudsman / ARLA: If the scammer claimed to be a registered agent, report to the relevant professional body.
• HMRC (optional): If the scammer was posing as a landlord collecting rent, HMRC may be interested in the tax fraud element.

File reports with all relevant bodies. Each has different investigative powers and cooperation between them improves the chances of catching the scammer and recovering funds.

Recovery options depend on how you paid:

Bank transfer (Faster Payments):

Credit card:

Debit card:

Cash:

PayPal or similar:

Keep records of all communications with your bank and any refusal letters. If the bank does not cooperate, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman.

After being scammed, take these precautions for future property searches:

• Always view in person before paying anything. No exceptions.
• Verify property ownership: Check the Land Registry (£3 per title search at gov.uk/search-property-information-service) to confirm who owns the property.
• Use established platforms: Rightmove and Zoopla listings from registered agents are safer than private ads on social media.
• Never pay by bank transfer to a personal account: Legitimate agents use client accounts regulated by professional bodies.
• Check the deposit is protected: Within 30 days of paying, verify your deposit on DPS, MyDeposits, or TDS.
• Trust your instincts: If something feels wrong, walk away. Legitimate properties and landlords will still be there tomorrow.

Use our property check tool to verify details about any property. Cross-reference the EPC register, check crime data, and confirm the postcode exists. If a listing's details do not match what our tool shows, that is a red flag.

If you have been a victim, consider sharing your experience (anonymously) on forums and review sites to help others avoid the same scam.