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Guide

Recognising a fake property listing

Updated on 12 November 2026

In brief

A fake listing offers a home that does not exist, or is not for rent, to obtain money or your documents. The most frequent signs: a rent well below prices in the area, a landlord abroad who cannot arrange a viewing, and a payment demanded before the viewing. Pay nothing before you have visited, and only place a deposit in a bank account in the tenant’s name.

The signs that should alert you

  • Too good: a well-located home, tastefully furnished, at a rent clearly below prices in the area.
  • Too far: the landlord says they live abroad or are about to leave, cannot arrange a viewing and offers to send the keys after payment.
  • Too early: a “reservation”, a down payment or the deposit is requested before the viewing, often through a money transfer company or to an account abroad.
  • Too rushed: you are told to decide right away, because other people are supposedly interested.
  • Too curious: from the first messages, you are asked for a copy of your ID, your income or your bank details.
  • Too vague: the contact claims to be a lawyer, a notary or an agency, but cannot be reached by phone, and their messages are full of mistakes.

The photos are often copied from a genuine listing. A reverse image search in a search engine sometimes finds the original, at another address or under another name.

Before paying anything

  • Visit the home in person, or have someone you trust visit it.
  • Check the agency: its entry in the commercial register, which can be consulted free of charge on Zefix, its website and a phone number you find yourself.
  • Only pay the deposit into a rent deposit account opened in a bank in the tenant’s name: that is what the law provides.
  • Do not send a copy of your ID before you have seen the home.
  • Only click on a payment link received by message after checking where it leads, and stay on the portal’s messaging as much as possible.

What the law says about rent deposits

If you have already paid

  • Alert your bank and the receiving bank immediately: a payment can sometimes still be stopped in time.
  • Report the listing to the portal publishing it, so that it is checked and removed.
  • File a complaint with the cantonal police of your canton of residence: fraud is prosecuted ex officio.
  • If you gave a password, change it.

On ImmGate

Only professionals registered in the commercial register can publish, and every account is checked before it is activated. Searching and contacting an agency is free: ImmGate will never ask you to pay to see a listing.

Sources