Vilnius encountered scammers and warns others: wanted to rent an apartment, but almost ran out of money

I tried to fool the scammers

Rasa from Vilnius talks about the downsides of finding real estate. She is a student looking for a home for herself and a friend, but the search for an apartment was not pleasant for her.

“I was looking for a two-bedroom apartment to rent in Vilnius. The area was not important, but I wanted to pay up to 350 euros for the rent. I finally found a suitable option for me and a friend on the well-known portal, so we decided to get interested in it. We have written the main questions: is there parking, what are the utility bills, when would it be possible to inspect the apartment? However, we receive answers to all questions, except when it is possible to inspect the apartment, ”says Rasa.

The interviewee continues that when the owner did not answer all the questions, she decided to ask them again: “When we asked the same question a second time, we got her life story, why is she in Lithuania and that the owner is not Lithuanian, but the man lives in Lithuania. It was also indicated at the end of the letter that to inspect the apartment, a prepayment of 640 euros is required, in which case the apartment will be ours and will not be transferred to anyone. “

According to the girl, it was already clear where that correspondence was leading and she decided they did not need this apartment.

“My friend and I realized that this could be a trap for scammers and we decided not to continue the correspondence, we understood it in time,” says the interlocutor.

Has the number of scams increased among tenants?

The confrontation of scammers has been faced by more than one resident looking for an apartment to rent. Very often, young people or people who have moved from a small town to live in a big city fall into the hands of scammers.
“I have not personally encountered such a situation at the moment, but these cases are common. Everything happens quickly and recklessly, a person who finds an apartment that he likes, does not think about everything to the end, transfers money, that is, a deposit, he does not inspect the apartment, which is a big mistake, ”says Edvinas Babarskis, a broker with the Vilniaus Turtas real estate agency.

Real estate specialist E. Babarskis explains that people who transfer money to strangers in the case of an apartment do not expect the deposit to be easily recovered, but this is possible in cases where a lease or other document is signed that accredits the transfer and return. : with the host, in a rush to transfer the trailer. However, you must first inspect the apartment and, if it is really suitable, sign a lease that already includes a prepayment element. That way you avoid scams and you won’t lose your money. “

Measures to help prevent fraud

After transferring the deposit for the apartment, people expect it to be theirs, but some of them may face an unpleasant situation: after the money transfer, the owner of the apartment suddenly disappears. In such cases, the affected population does not know how to proceed, but wants to recover the lost money.

“If he transferred money without seeing the apartment or the landlord and didn’t get any response from him after all, it means that he has been cheated. There is a small chance that you will get your money back, so if you find an apartment that you like, you I suggest you look at it first and then sign a lease, because in that case you will have proof and you will be calm, ”explains real estate broker E. Babarskis.

The interviewee says that the rents of the apartments are increasing and the scammers are taking advantage of them: “Do not rush to transfer money for the rent so that they do not deceive you. When it comes to renting, you can always go to real estate agents for advice, who will be delighted and free of charge to consult you, advise you and find the best solutions for you ”.

People keep turning to brokers to rent

Although rental prices have risen, people are still renting apartments in big cities and are eager to seek help from real estate professionals.

“It just came to our knowledge then. Lately I have received calls to ask for help, to find and rent an apartment, people understand that a professional who works at their job will always make it better and easier. I get a lot of calls from students,” he says the interviewer.

Scammers work every month, but especially in August-September

Scams in the real estate market have always been and will be. However, they are increasing as fall approaches, as many young people move from a small town to the big cities and look for a place to live.

“There have always been and will always be scammers, it is inevitable, but scammers are more active in August and September, because many students leave their homes and come to study in large cities, so the demand for rent is increasing,” he explains. Real estate. specialist E. Babarskis.