Hyderabad rental scam alert: Reddit users expose fraudulent property listing demanding ‘visiting fee’
According to the post, the listing offered a rental rate that seemed unusually low. After initiating a chat with the listed contact, the user was asked to call the owner, who then demanded a “refundable” visiting card fee of Rs. 1,500 to view the apartment. The request immediately raised suspicions of a scam.
Hyderabad: A recent Reddit post started alarm bells about a possible rental scam in Hyderabad. One user reported having dealings with the supposed landlord but was thrown by suspicious behaviour.
The listing, it was claimed, was offering rent which looked suspiciously cheap. After a chat with the listed contact, the user was asked to call the owner, and the owner demanded a “refundable” entry charge of Rs. 1,500 to go and see the apartment.
The post garnered several comments, with one commenting, “One of my friends faced the same thing; it later turned out to be a scam”. Another user gave his experience with a fake listing of a 1 BHK flat in Lanco Hills last year. “They asked for Rs. 2,000. Luckily, my manager lives there and told me that Lanco Hills does not even have 1 BHK flats, nor do they charge any entry fee. I told the scammer that my manager would help me get in, and at that point, the scammer suddenly changed tone, so that was the end of it.”
There were several comments mentioning that 1 BHK flats are very rarely available in Hyderabad, more so in gated communities towards the western part of the city such as Gachibowli, Kondapur, and Lanco Hills. “This should be the first red flag. These scamsters haven’t done the basic research,” said one user.
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