Attempted fraud in Augsburg: 21-year-old sees through perfidious rental trap!

Attempted fraud in Augsburg: 21-year-old sees through perfidious rental trap!

A 21-year-old woman from Augsburg recently got lucky and escaped an attempted scam while looking for an apartment. According to a report by Picture On August 22, 2025, she contacted a stranger via an online platform. She promptly received an email asking her to pay one month's rent and a deposit, even though there was no rental agreement. It is thanks to the young woman's prudence that she became suspicious and informed the police, who have now started an investigation into attempted fraud.

More and more people are desperately looking for housing, and this is exactly where fraudsters see their opportunity. Cybercriminals disguise themselves as legitimate landlords and try to get money and personal information from tenants. As the police warn on their website, these perpetrators often use fake IDs and imaginative stories to build trust. This includes participating in platforms like Airbnb to feign security. Fake apartment advertisements are often placed there that have beautiful pictures and tempting prices, but are only an illusion. This stitch is described more clearly on Police prevention.

Typical scams

The scammers are creative and use different methods to get their victims' money. They demand advance payments for rental agreements that are often never signed, and do so not only with ridiculously low rental prices, but also by contacting fake property management companies. This type of scam shamelessly exploits the housing shortage by placing advertisements for apartments at bargain prices. The fraudsters often pose as foreigners who have inherited apartments with a lot of money or are only temporarily abroad. The police strongly advise against transferring money before viewing and signing the contract Police advice emphatically emphasized.

The topic is particularly explosive: Victims repeatedly report to the police about their experiences in which they were left without a place to live or money, having fallen for the false promises of fraudsters. Instead of a nice new place to live, they ended up in holiday apartments or got nothing at all, while the payment for a non-existent apartment was already on its way to the fraudsters.

How you can protect yourself

To avoid becoming a victim of such fraud yourself, the police provide helpful advice. This includes never paying in advance and only paying after viewing the apartment and signing a rental agreement. Extremely low additional costs, which often arouse suspicion, are also suspicious. The photos of the apartment should not come from a catalog and the landlord's contact details should be clearly visible. If something seems strange, it is advisable to inform the police or, if necessary, contact the bank to get payments back.

In the current times, it is therefore essential to look carefully when looking for an apartment and to listen to your gut feeling. There are many people looking for a roof over their heads, so be careful with offers and protect yourself from scammers!