Rental scams
Why am I getting so many private messages after posting that I'm looking for a room?
Updated By the Housing Rocket moderators
Short answer
A post saying you're looking for housing tells scammers you have a budget and a deadline, so some reply by private message with listings that were never posted publicly. Plenty of messages are genuine, but treat any offer that arrives by direct message and skips a viewing with extra suspicion.
Scammers search groups for these posts and send the same message to dozens of people, often with photos copied from real listings and a price just under the budget you mentioned. A reply that could apply to anyone ("Hi, I have a place that fits what you need, available now") is a sign.
- Ask for the address and search it before you go any further.
- Check whether the listing was ever posted in the group, and if not, ask why.
- Look at the sender's profile for the usual signs of a fake account.
- Keep your phone number and email out of the post itself. Let people message you first.
In Housing Rocket groups every post is reviewed before it appears, but moderators can't see private messages. If a message looks like a scam, report the profile and tell the moderators so they can watch for it. For writing a "looking for" post that attracts real replies, see posting a listing.
Want the whole picture? Read How To Avoid Housing Scams.