A Bengaluru renter has raised an alarm on Reddit about what he describes as a “new flat rental scam” targeting people searching for affordable homes in the city. In a detailed post, titled “Bengaluru New Flat Rental Scam,” the user narrated how scammers are exploiting too-good-to-be-true listings on popular real-estate platforms to dupe unsuspecting tenants.
According to the Redditor, the scam typically appears in the form of unusually low-priced, fully furnished 2BHK apartments listed for as little as ₹15,000 in areas like JP Nagar. The original poster said he was immediately suspicious of the offer but decided to probe further.
“I was already skeptical as it was fully furnished 2BHK, for just 15K inside a society. TV, Fridge, Washing Machine everything, the society had Gym, Swimming Pool whatever you could think about. I was pretty confident it’s a scam, still wanted to find out,” the Redditor wrote.
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How rental scams work?
He said that when he contacted the listed phone number, the alleged landlord told him that society rules did not allow direct visits and that an “entry ID card” had to be generated beforehand. For this, the Redditor was asked to share a photograph of himself along with a government-issued ID.
“First things first, never ever share your photo or any other details with any person without actually meeting the person, in this world of AI a single photo can be used to blackmail you into doing many things,” he warned.
The user said that the scammer then demanded ₹2,500 as a refundable fee to create the supposed entry pass. The Redditor explained that this is the core of the fraud. Once the money is transferred, the person disappears, he said.
“This is where the SCAM is, as the moment you pay the money, you’ll never hear from this guy again. I told him, I didn’t have a problem with doing any of that, as long as I come and see him at the society gate, and the security verifies the same, he ended the call right away,” he wrote.
The Redditor added that he encountered at least two such fraudulent listings, suggesting the scam may be more widespread than it appears.
“So, yes this has started happening here as well. So, people please be aware and cautious, if a deal sounds too good to be true, more often than not, it’s a scam of some sort,” he concluded.
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Social media reactions
Social media users were quick to react to the post, with many noting that scamsters are exploiting demand by luring people with unrealistic offers. Some users also shared similar experiences, urging others to verify listings, avoid advance payments and distrust deals that appear usually generous.
“This is rule 5 of the community. Please be mindful while flathunting!” one user commented.
“I learnt it the hard way too….lost 2k (could have lost more, but finally came to my senses what was going on), was really upset went to the police station even, it was a Sunday- they weren’t helpful. Raised a complaint on the NPCI website. Nothing. Just told myself it was a lesson worth 2k and never to fall for it,” shared another.
“Faced this same scam 2 years ago, had to pay 500 as a token amount. NEVER EVER PAY MONEY JUST TO SEE A FLAT. MAJOR RED FLAG. go for brokers instead. They take one months rent as brokerage but that means u can look at any number of houses until ur fully satisfied and then give them the brokerage once agreement is signed,” wrote a third user.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)