Housing Information

There are a lot of housing scams, so you must conduct your housing search carefully. It is highly recommended that you secure short-term housing upon arrival (e.g. in a hostel) and conduct your housing search once you are in the U.S. This will allow you to see the property and meet your landlord/lady or prospective roommate(s) without requiring you to wire large sums of money to someone you have never met. If you absolutely must secure permanent housing before arriving in the USA, it is recommended that you look for an established university or residence facility rather than an individual apartment owner.

If you find you have been the victim of a housing scam, report it to the FTC and/or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Please make sure to read the information/instructions first about what to include in the report.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) outlines some telltale signs of scammers:

• They want you to wire money. Do not wire money to pay a security deposit, application fee, or first month’s rent. Wiring money is the same as sending cash — once you send it, you have no way to get it back.
• They want a security deposit or first month’s rent before you’ve met or signed a lease. It’s never a good idea to send money to someone you’ve never met in person for an apartment you haven’t seen. If you can’t visit an apartment or house yourself, ask someone you trust to go and confirm that it’s for rent. If you don’t know someone who can do this, wait until you are in the U.S. so you can visit housing locations yourself. In addition to setting up a meeting, do a search on the landlord and listing. If you find the same ad listed under a different name, that’s a clue it may be a scam.
• They say they’re out of the country, but they have a plan to get the keys into your hands. It might involve a lawyer or “agent” working on their behalf. Some scammers even create fake keys. Be skeptical, and don’t send money overseas. If you can’t meet in person, see the apartment, or sign a lease before you pay, keep looking.
• Never share your personal information, including your bank account or credit card numbers or Social Security number.

Check out the following websites for tips on avoiding fraud:

• https://www.usa.gov/housing-scams
• https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0079-rental-listing-scams
• https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnsum13/wire-transfer-scams.html
• https://www.occ.treas.gov/topics/consumer-protection/fraud-resources/advance-fee-fraud.html
• https://www.craigslist.org/about/scams