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Flat rent scams in India: token money, fake owners and “army officers”

Do not pay a token, booking amount or deposit for a flat you have not seen, to a person whose ownership you have not checked. A real owner or broker will show you the flat, let you see a document in the owner's name, and take the deposit when you sign the agreement. If someone says they are an army officer who has been transferred and cannot show you the flat, or asks you to enter a UPI PIN or OTP to “receive” money, stop: police in several states have warned about this uniform story.
An empty flat with large windows, a table and black chairs
Photo: Pexels on Pixabay

Before you pay a token or deposit for a flat

Tap each one as you check it.

How the fake landlord scam works

You find a well-priced flat on a property site, OLX, Facebook or a WhatsApp group. The “owner” is friendly but cannot show it today: he is away, or has just been transferred. To hold the flat for you, he asks for a token amount by UPI, then the deposit, then a charge for the agreement or the keys. Each payment has a reason, and the flat never becomes yours.

A fake owner can also show you a real flat: someone with access to it, such as a caretaker or a tenant, can let it out as if it were theirs and keep the deposit. That is why seeing the flat is necessary but not enough on its own.

Example. Names and numbers are made up.

Why the “army officer” story keeps appearing

A uniform in the profile photo and a transfer story explain away everything a renter would normally ask for: why they cannot meet, why it is urgent, why they want to pay or be paid online. West Bengal Police's cyber crime wing has warned that fraudsters pose as Indian Army personnel to exploit the goodwill people feel for the armed forces.

The same script also hits people who list their own flat for rent. In August 2025 a Hyderabad man lost more than ₹12.75 lakh after a caller posing as an NSG commando, “transferred to Hyderabad”, sent fake ID documents and pushed him into a series of transfers to “release” the advance rent. Kerala Police have said they get around 200 complaints a month of fraud in the name of soldiers. If you are the owner, you never need to enter a PIN or OTP, or click a link, to receive rent.

How to check who owns the flat

  1. See the flat in person, and meet the owner or a broker you can find again at an office.
  2. Ask to see a recent property tax receipt or electricity bill for that address in the owner's name, and an ID that matches it.
  3. Ask the neighbours or the society office who owns the flat and whether it is really up for rent.
  4. Search the listing photos and the phone number online. The same photos under a different city or name are a clear sign.
  5. Pay the deposit when you sign a written rent agreement, by bank transfer to an account in the owner's name, and keep the receipt.

Signs of a fake owner

  • Wants a token before you see the flat
  • Away, abroad or “just transferred”
  • Keys or agreement to come by courier
  • Payee name does not match the owner
  • Price well below the area

Signs of a real owner or broker

  • Shows you the flat first
  • Lets you see a bill or tax receipt in their name
  • Takes the deposit when you sign the agreement
  • Pays or is paid from an account in their own name
  • Has an office or address you can visit again

If it already happened

  1. Report it on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in straight away, with the UPI ID or account number, amounts and times.
  2. Call your bank on the number in its app and tell it the payments were a fraud.
  3. Save the listing, the chats, any ID or documents you were sent and the payment receipts.
  4. Report the listing and the account to the website or app where you found it.
  5. If you met someone in person and paid them, file a complaint at the local police station too.
  • Call 1930The national cyber fraud helpline. Call within hours if money left your account.
  • cybercrime.gov.inFile a complaint online and keep the acknowledgement number.
  • Chakshu on Sanchar SaathiReport a fraud call, SMS or WhatsApp number.

Questions

Is it normal to pay a token amount before seeing a flat?
No. A token is sometimes paid to hold a flat you have seen and agreed on, but paying one for a flat you have only seen in photos is the risk most rent scams rely on.
How do I check if a landlord is the real owner?
Ask to see a recent property tax receipt or electricity bill for the flat in their name, with a matching ID, and ask neighbours or the society office. Pay the deposit only into an account in that same name.
Why do rent scammers say they are in the Army?
A uniform makes people trust them and a transfer explains why they cannot meet or why it is urgent. Police in West Bengal, Hyderabad and Kerala have warned about this story.
Can I get my deposit back after a rent scam?
Report on 1930 at once, because the banks can sometimes hold money that has not yet been moved on. After a few days it is much harder.

Realr cannot tell you who owns a flat, but before you send a token to a landlord or broker you have never met, you can ask them to prove who they are with a Realr check.

Ask them to verify

Sources

Checked against the sources above on 17 October 2026. By Manav Sharma, Marketing Team, Realr. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Ask them to prove who they are, before you pay or meet.

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