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He was looking for a flat in Noida’s Sector 62.
The listing looked good. The rent was reasonable. The person on the other end of the call was polite, professional, and convincing.
They asked for a visiting charge. Just ?35,000 — refundable, they said — to confirm the booking and secure his slot to view the property.
He paid. They disappeared.
This is one of the most common rental scams in India right now. And it is working at scale because the amounts involved feel believable — small enough that people pay without hesitation, large enough that running fifty of these a month is very profitable.
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The scam follows a consistent pattern. A listing appears on a platform — sometimes legitimate sites, sometimes WhatsApp groups. The rent is competitive but not absurdly low, which makes it feel real. The “landlord” or “agent” is responsive and professional. They explain that demand is high and to secure the viewing, a small refundable fee is required.
Once the money moves, the number goes dead.
A landlord in Andheri East lost over ?3.5 lakh to a variation of this scam running from the other direction. A scammer posing as an Army officer interested in her flat convinced her to transfer money with promises of doubling the amount in return.
In Chennai, a man was arrested for cheating over 15 people of ?1.25 crore using rental fraud.
These are not isolated cases. They are a business model.
What you should know before your next flat search:
No legitimate landlord or agent asks for payment before you physically visit the property. None. If someone asks for a visiting fee, a booking fee, a token to secure your slot, or any payment before you have seen the flat in person — stop.
For UPI specifically: entering your PIN authorises a payment. Always. There is no such thing as a verification scan that requires your PIN. If someone sends you a QR code to receive money, they are lying.
If you are scammed, call the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 immediately. Then call your bank to try to freeze the transaction. Speed matters — most of these transfers can be reversed if reported within hours.
