Flat Rental Token Advance Scam on social media

How it looks on social media, the red flags and what to do.

On Instagram, Facebook or YouTube the scam can be an ad, a direct message, a giveaway or a "trader" who shows profits. 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 on social media

• A giveaway that asks you to pay a small fee or share a code.
• An ad with a celebrity face and a payment link.
• A "friend" account that is a copy of someone you know.

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 social media message

• 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.
• A prize needs a payment or a code first.
• The profile is new, or the followers are bots.

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. Do not pay, share codes or move to another app.
5. Check the account: when it was created, who follows it, and whether the real brand links to it from its own website.
6. Report the account or ad inside the app and block it.

Use Report on the profile, post or ad. If money was lost, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

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, phone call, fake app.

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