What a hammer flat! Three rooms total 95 square metres in the heart of Zurich – and for only 1100 francs per month! The photos of the advertisement on Homegate show a modern furnished apartment on a wonderful matte belt parquet. And the bathroom has a floor-level showers, where you feel like you are under a natural waterfall in a cave. This is too good to be true! Quickly the landlord, Gabriel, to send a message to.

the Moment. This is really too good to be true. Why not Gabriel his last name? And what’s with all the nicely folded towels in the bathrooms. And why is there ARD in the TV? This looks more like a Hotel.

Google image search gives certainty: The beautiful photos come not from an apartment in Zurich, but from the apartments of the “Boardinghouse Golden Ball” in the vicinity of Munich.

Actually, the pictures from the apartments of the “Boardinghouse Golden Ball” in Munich. (Image: Screenshot goldenball.de)

But there’s an E-Mail of the alleged landlord is coming back already: Gabriel is now all of a sudden Davide and writes in English. It do him very sorry that he was currently working in the UK and have only decided to after arriving in Leeds, to rent the apartment. The payment should be processed through the placement portal Airbnb. The have also the advantage that it will protect me from scammers, noted Gabriel/Davide caring.

a Few hours later, home gate responds: “Fake online”, headlines the platform is the E-Mail and advises to, “any contacts with the advertisers cancel”. That would probably be the most sensible Option, but a question remains unsolved: How Gabriel/Davide will come to Airbnb to my money?

In another E-Mail Gabriel/Davide explains his Scam in Detail. He’ll need some personal Details, then he will put the apartment on Airbnb and in my name book, he claims. But he has it apart, obviously, rent to the security Deposit of three month, which he wants before the visit. “If you are not after the visit with the apartment satisfied, cancel the reservation, and the money will be refunded to you,” he writes. When I send him then no copy of the passport, the contact.

Airbnb holds on request, customers of the platform should be prompted to “never”, to transfer money directly, credit card information, to pay or otherwise a landlord directly.

“A constant arms race”

Carina schönberger of Homegate confirmed on request, that it was a fake. The platform to get on a monthly basis, approximately 20 to 30 fake listings. “We check every listing manually before it is switched on,” explains the media spokesperson. In the recent case of Gabriel/Davide offered his fictional apartment first, for 7800 francs, then adjusted the price but after the test below.

The Scams with fake online advertisements would have reached home gate 2015 its peak. “The Problem is currently as big as it used to,” explains schönberger. In recent years, the number of intercepted counterfeit has remained roughly stable.

the situation was Somewhat different in the case of Immoscout24. “We are fighting roughly estimated per day with 15 to 20 fake apartment listings,” says Director Martin Waeber on request. Thanks to a “huge effort”, he added, “99.9 percent of the scammers out Ads already in the insertion process.” Nevertheless, the company could not guarantee that not a single Scam of ads online. “As a platform operator, we are highly dependent on the sensitivity and caution of users and customers,” said Waeber.

From the point of view of Immoscout24 have increased fraud attempts. Especially in the larger cities such as Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne and Basel will tries out for the prevailing housing shortage to beat the Chapter.

Also the approach of the fraudsters will always be professional. “It is equip with a steady bet,” explains Waeber. Instead of the bumpy texts of the past scammers would write today, often almost error-free and your listings with credible mosquitoes trusted property Details exclusive. In addition, the objects would rarely offered beyond the market prices.

“A reputable provider never asks you for money before viewing.”Carina schönberger of home gate

Immoscout24 warns of three more mesh, the use of fraudsters in the last time: you will have to copy professional listings of real administrations and brokers one – to-one “same object images, same description, same price, same logo, same address, same billing address, and phone number,” explains Waeber. The only difference is that you specify your own E-Mail address – and tap their victim in the case.

A possible reason for the often poor English in the advertisements of Berger home gate called beautiful: In the case of the fraudsters it was according to your experience are often people who operate from abroad.

scammers but best in mind that you require before visiting the apartment of money. Schönberger makes it clear: “A reputable provider never asks you for money before viewing.” The Waeber from Immoscout24, says: “such An advance payment, there is not in Switzerland. A house or a apartment can always be visited.”

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 22.03.2019, 18:31 PM