With university offers pouring in, Gardaí are cautioning young people to be wary of accommodation fraud, which is on the increase this year.
So far in the first six months of 2025, reports of accommodation fraud are up by 22%, with approximately 160 cases recorded by An Garda Síochána.
Reported losses from this fraud total €385,000, compared with €617,000 for the full year of 2024.
2024 records show that approximately one third of all accommodation fraud reports occur during August and September each year.
The return to college timeframe, between August and October, always sees a spike in accommodation fraud reports.
Approximately a third of victims of accommodation fraud are under 25, and 66% of victims are under 33 years. Of those victims, 54% are male and 46% are female.
Gardaí are advising people to be wary of rental scams, particularly at this time of year when students are returning to college.
Rental fraud occurs when a victim pays money to rent accommodation (typically in the form of a deposit) and subsequently discovers that the transaction was fraudulent.
Examples of rental fraud include:
- The fraudster claims to be out of the country and cannot show the renter the property unless they pay a deposit. The victim pays the deposit and is at the loss of the 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.
- The transaction appears normal until the renter finds that the property doesn’t exist, is already occupied, or the keys do not work, and the landlord has disappeared.
Reservation fraud occurs when a person pays for a hotel/guesthouse room and subsequently discovers that the transaction was fraudulent. For example, the property doesn’t exist, or staff at the property have no record of the booking.
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) advises that there are a number of red flags/warning signs:
- If the rent seems too good to be true, then it probably is. There’s no such thing as cheap accommodation, especially in urban areas.
- It’s only advertised through social media or the person letting the location will only communicate via Messenger or WhatsApp. You should push for direct answers and if responses are vague, disengage immediately.
- Where your knowledge of it came from an unsolicited contact / social media feed / pop-up advert, or where the contact appears to be based in other jurisdictions.
- There is a sense of urgency, like “a one-time offer”.
- The listing contains grammar or spelling mistakes, and/or there are very limited details or pictures of the property.
- The landlord is unable to meet up to show you the property in person.
- When communication is only through text / WhatsApp or other social media platforms.
- When the property is offered with no questions asked, and payment is demanded immediately before signing the lease.
- When you are asked to pay cash, cryptocurrency or money via a non-bank transfer (such as a wire transfer).
- Where the bank account you are asked to send the money to is in a different country.
