Recently, frauds regarding apartment rentals have become active in social networks. The Cyber Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs informs that criminals publish fake advertisements on social networks with attractive photos and significantly lower prices than the market. After being interested in the announcement, they demand an immediate advance payment in order to “reserve” it, arguing that there is a lot of interest in the apartment.
As a result, after receiving the money, they stop the connection, block you or delete their page.
How to protect yourself?
• Never transfer an advance payment until you have seen the apartment in person and made sure that you are dealing with the real owner or an authorized representative of the real estate agency.
• If the offer seems too profitable, there is a high probability that it is a scam.
• Make any payment only after signing the written contract.
• Verify the account that posted the ad: Recently created, inactive or suspicious pages can be used for fraud purposes.
• If possible, make sure that photos of the apartment have not been used in other advertisements or websites.
If you suspect that you have become a victim of fraud, the cyber police advise you to contact your bank as soon as possible, save all message history, transfer receipts and other data related to the incident, and immediately inform the police.
“Be alert and carefully check the authenticity of the offer before making any payment,” the police say.
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Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2026/08/06/verelq-scams-on-social-networks-under-the-name-of-renting-apartments/
