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Beware of rental fraud in Gurgaon. From fake listings to token money traps, learn how to spot common rental scams in Gurugram and protect yourself in 2025.
Gurgaon—officially Gurugram—moves at a relentless pace. Professionals are relocating for MNC jobs in Cyber City, freshers are escaping PG life, and families are upgrading to proper flats every single month. The demand for rentals here never cools. And where there’s urgency, there are scammers ready to exploit it.
Rental fraud in Gurgaon has grown far beyond the old shady-broker-pocketing-cash cliché. Cybercrime complaints in Gurgaon rose 6% in 2025, even as police arrested 2,690 people—up from 1,868 the previous year—after busting several organized gangs running online scams. The420 .Rental fraud is a growing slice of that pie.
If you’re searching for a flat in Sector 56, Sohna Road, DLF Phase 1–5, Palam Vihar, or anywhere in the NCR belt, this guide will help you identify rental scams in Gurugram before they cost you money.
What Is Rental Fraud? (And Why Is Gurgaon Especially Vulnerable?)
Rental fraud is any deceptive scheme where a scammer — posing as a landlord, broker, or agent — tricks you into handing over money or personal documents for a property you’ll never actually rent.
Gurgaon is uniquely exposed for three reasons: a constant inflow of outstation professionals with no local network to verify listings; a largely unregulated broker ecosystem; and the near-universal use of UPI payments that transfer money instantly—giving victims almost no window to reverse a transaction once they realize something is wrong.
8 Common Rental Scams in Gurgaon (and How to Spot Them)
1. Fake Property Listings — The “Too Good to Be True” Ad
Searching for a 2BHK in DLF Phase 3 at ?12,000/month? If the rent is suspiciously lower than comparable properties on 99acres or MagicBricks, treat it as a red flag before anything else.
Scammers copy photos from genuine listings or use AI-generated images to create convincing ads on classified platforms and WhatsApp groups. Once you show interest, they push you to pay an advance “to block the flat”—before you’ve even visited. In Gurgaon’s high-demand corridors like Golf Course Road and Nirvana Country, always cross-check the same property across at least two or three platforms. If the listing exists only in one place, verify before calling.
2. Token Money Trap — Gurgaon’s Most Common Rental Scam
This is the single most reported rental fraud in the city. A “landlord” or “broker” tells you the flat has multiple interested tenants and asks for ?5,000–?25,000 as token money to hold it. The UPI transfer goes through. The number becomes unreachable within hours.
One tenant lost ?25,000 after spotting a listing on WhatsApp and paying token money without verifying ownership. The fraudster deleted their contact immediately after. Never pay token money — or any advance — before physically visiting the property and checking the owner’s original title documents.
3. Fake Visiting Fees / “Property Pass” Scam
Before even allowing you to see the flat, some scammers demand ?2,000–?3,000 as a “refundable visiting fee” or “property pass charge.” This amount feels small enough that many people pay without thinking twice. After the transfer, the scammer goes silent.
This scam works because the amount is low enough to seem legitimate. It isn’t. No genuine landlord or RERA-registered broker in Gurgaon charges a fee to show a property.
4. One Flat, Multiple Victims — The Duplicate Keys Scam
A fraudster rents or gains temporary access to a flat, then poses as the owner to multiple prospective tenants simultaneously—collecting security deposits from each. Everyone is given a move-in date. The real landlord shows up. Chaos follows.
This type of rental fraud is especially common in high-density gated societies in sectors like Sector 48, Sector 50, and South City, where foot traffic is high and building staff don’t always track who’s showing which unit. Before paying any deposit, visit the society office or RWA directly and confirm who the actual owner is.
5. The Sublet Trap
Someone legally rents a flat in, say, Palam Vihar or Sector 57 — and then re-lists it on OLX or NoBroker as if they’re the owner. They collect security deposits from new tenants without the actual landlord’s knowledge. A clear warning sign: the “landlord” or broker tells you not to contact the owner directly. That instruction alone should end the conversation.
6. Fake UPI Payment Screenshots — A Gurgaon-Specific Alert
This scam cuts both ways. A 26-year-old man stayed at a hotel accommodation in Gurugram’s DLF Phase 5 for five months without paying a rupee, sending screenshots of fake PhonePe transactions totaling ?6 lakh to the operator via WhatsApp. He had installed a counterfeit app where only the QR scanner was functional.
Landlords and PG operators in Gurgaon: Stop accepting WhatsApp screenshots as payment proof. Always verify credits in your bank statement or UPI app directly before handing over keys or extending a stay.
7. Identity Document Theft During Rental Applications
When applying for a rental, you’ll be asked for Aadhaar, PAN, and sometimes bank details. Legitimate landlords need this for tenant verification — but so do fraudsters. Documents collected under the guise of a rental application get used for loan fraud, SIM card fraud, and identity theft.
Share photocopies only — never originals. Before handing anything over, watermark your Aadhaar copy with the date and the landlord’s name. And share documents only after a rent agreement has been signed that specifies how your data will be used and stored.
8. The Fake Rent Agreement Racket
Scammers now claim to initiate digital agreement registration under the 2025 updates to the Model Tenancy Act, which mandated e-stamping and digital registration of rent agreements. They request upfront payment for stamp duty and registration charges, then provide a PDF with a fake or recycled e-stamp number—which most tenants never think to verify. Squareyards
For commercial rentals in Gurgaon—office spaces in Udyog Vihar, Sector 32, or Golf Course Extension—always have the agreement reviewed by a legal professional before signing or paying anything. Verify stamp duty authenticity on the Haryana government’s e-stamping portal.
Red Flags in Gurgaon Rentals: Stop Here Before You Pay
- Rent is significantly below market rate for that sector or locality
- The “landlord” claims to be abroad and can’t meet in person
- You’re asked to pay before visiting the property
- The broker or agent refuses to let you speak with the owner directly
- No written agreement is provided before any payment is requested
- All communication happens only on WhatsApp with no verifiable address or office
- Multiple listings for the same flat with different contact numbers
How to Avoid Rental Fraud in Gurgaon: A Step-by-Step Checklist
Before paying anything:
- Visit the property in person—this is non-negotiable
- Ask for the owner’s original property documents or registry papers
- Cross-check the owner’s name in Gurgaon’s property tax records (MCG portal)
- Verify your broker’s RERA registration number at haryanarera.gov.in
When making payments:
- Use bank transfers or account payee cheques — not cash
- Keep receipts and maintain a transaction log
- Never pay the full security deposit without simultaneously receiving a registered rent agreement and the keys
On the rent agreement:
- Insist on a notarised or registered agreement—verbal promises are legally worthless
- Read every clause: lock-in period, maintenance charges, deposit refund timeline
- For significant amounts, have a lawyer review before signing
For your personal documents:
- Share photocopies only, never originals
- Watermark every document copy with the date and the recipient’s name
What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed in Gurgaon
Act within hours—UPI disputes have time limits.
- Call your bank immediately to flag the transaction and request a reversal
- File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in
- Call the National Cyber Helpline: 1930
- Register an FIR at the nearest Gurgaon cyber police station
- Report the fraudulent listing on the platform where you found it
Frequently Asked Questions About Rental Fraud in Gurgaon
Q: How do I verify a landlord’s property ownership in Gurgaon?
Ask for original sale deed or registry documents, then cross-check the owner’s name against the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) property tax portal. You can also verify through the Haryana land records portal (jamabandi.nic.in).
Q: Is it safe to pay rent via UPI in Gurgaon?
UPI itself is safe — but it’s irreversible once paid. Never pay based on a WhatsApp listing alone. Transfer only after visiting the property, verifying ownership, and signing a registered agreement.
Q: How do I check if a broker is RERA-registered in Gurgaon?
Visit haryanarera.gov.in and search under the broker/agent directory using their name or registration number. Dealing with unregistered brokers has no legal recourse.
Q: What law applies to rental fraud in India?
Rental fraud falls under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 (cheating), and relevant provisions of the IT Act for online fraud. File an FIR at your local police station or the Gurgaon Cyber Police.
Q: Can I recover money lost in a rental scam?
If reported quickly, banks can sometimes freeze and reverse UPI transactions. Filing a complaint on 1930 (National Cyber Helpline) immediately improves your chances. Recovery gets significantly harder after 24–48 hours.
Gurgaon’s rental market isn’t broken — but it rewards people who slow down and verify, and it punishes those who rush. The urgency you feel when a “great deal” might disappear? That pressure is manufactured by scammers. Any deal that evaporates the moment you ask for 24 hours to verify was never real to begin with.
Know someone relocating to Gurgaon? Share this guide — it could save them from losing their first month’s rent before they’ve even signed a real lease.
