Flat Rental Token Advance Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

On a call the pressure is live: no time to read, no time to check, and a rule that you must not tell anyone. Flat Rental Token Advance Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A too-cheap flat or PG listing asks for a token to hold it, then the 'owner' disappears. See how rental token scams work and how to stay safe.

What flat rental token advance scam looks like over the phone

• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.
• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.
• An unknown or international number, or a number that looks like a real office.

The scammer copies pictures and descriptions from a genuine listing and re-posts them with a lower rent on classified apps, social groups and brokers' pages. He claims to be an NRI, a transferred officer or a busy executive, which neatly explains why he cannot meet. He replies instantly and shares a neat agreement template, so the deal looks well organised.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• The rent is far below similar flats in the same area.
• The owner is abroad or elsewhere and refuses a video call showing the flat live.
• You must pay a token or deposit before you see the property.
• The UPI name does not match the owner's name on the listing.
• You are told to keep the call secret.
• The caller wants you to install an app to "fix" something.

What to do

1. Visit the flat in person and meet the owner or his real representative before paying anything.
2. Ask for a live video tour that shows today's date or a specific object that you request.
3. Check that the person you pay matches the owner's name on the property papers.
4. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.
5. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.
6. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with the UPI reference.
2. Tell your bank through the official app and give the payee's details.
3. Save the listing, chat, agreement image and call log before they disappear.
4. Do not pay a second deposit to 'fix' the first, however convincing the explanation.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Money Shield in Safeavio Sentinel includes a 'Verify before you pay' checklist that asks whether you have seen the property and whether the receiver's name matches the owner. If the listing sends a payment QR code or link, QR check and Link check help you see where it goes before you pay. These tools help you slow down; they cannot verify ownership of a flat and cannot recover a token already paid.

Full guide: Flat Rental Token Advance Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, fake app, social media.

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