Fraud when buying an apartment: how not to fall for the bait of scammers

The number of cybercriminal scams in the housing market has been growing for eight years in a row

Since 2014, there has been an increase in fraud cases in the real estate sector in Russia. Most of the crimes are committed on the Internet. Swindlers have developed so many ingenious schemes that they are ready to get someone else’s property.

The first – lzherieltory.

At the beginning of 2023, scammers post posts on popular classified ad sites that pose as employees of real estate agencies. Fraudsters provide real addresses of well-known real estate companies in which they allegedly work.

The second is false sellers.

Fraudsters ask customers to transfer a deposit through the booking service from the site. Scammers get access to someone else’s bank card. None of the ad sites provide such options.

Some “sellers” persistently offer to transfer money through the fast payment system, while first following the link and confirming your card details. Undoubtedly, this is also a fraud, because for transactions using the SBP, it is enough to enter the recipient’s phone number. If you are looking for an apartment on a listing site, do not agree to communicate with the prospective seller in the messenger, and do not deposit funds online. Pay for real estate only internally, directly at the conclusion of the contract.

Third – mousetrap sites.

Scammers create resources that offer notary appointment services. The main goal of scammers is to persuade users to upload their personal data to the site, including copies of passports and documents confirming ownership of housing.

“Unfortunately, scammers parasitize on many useful Internet options in the field of real estate,” says Nadezhda Korkka, managing partner of Metrium. – However, the vast majority of criminal schemes are designed for the gullibility of uncertain users. Often, Internet criminals are not able to gain access to other people’s savings and documents if the person himself does not follow their lead and has previously secured himself. Following just a few simple rules will protect you and your property from virtual scammers.”