Could the rental advert be copied from another listing?
Yes, and it is the most common way rental scams start: the photos and description are taken from a real listing, the price is lowered and the contact details are swapped. A reverse image search on the photos usually finds the original within a minute.
Signs that an advert is copied: the price is well below the area, the text mentions an agency but the contact is a private WhatsApp, and the person cannot answer simple questions about the building.
How to check
- Save one or two of the listing photos and run them through Google image search.
- If the same flat appears elsewhere at a higher price or with another contact, you have found the original. Contact that agent instead.
- Paste a sentence of the description into Google in quotes.
- Ask about the parking, the prepaid electricity, the levies: a copier cannot answer.
- Check the advertiser's number and profile for scam reports.
Frequently asked questions
- The copied advert is cheaper. Could it be the same owner trying to rent privately?
- Possible but rare, and the owner can prove it by meeting you at the flat. Until then treat it as a copy.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for R99.
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