With rising housing prices in Taiwan, rental costs have also increased. However, if you see rental ads on the internet that are below market rates and require a deposit before viewing the property, be cautious as it might be a rental scam.
Recently, a man named Chen in the northern region saw a rental ad in a Facebook group. The house was located in a prime area with convenient transportation. The advertiser asked Chen to prepay two months' rent, totaling around 20,000 NTD, as a deposit to get priority in viewing the house. Chen believed it to be true and transferred the money. However, the advertiser started making excuses and eventually became unreachable, making Chen realize he had been scammed.
Such scam cases are rampant. Scammers usually post ads with beautifully decorated homes at low rents on Facebook to attract victims. They use the tactic of "paying a deposit to view the house" to lure victims into transferring money, and once they succeed, they disappear.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau reminds renters not to pay any money before signing a contract. Ensure that the other party is the owner of the house or building and be wary of unreasonably low rental prices. It is recommended to look for properties on more secure rental websites to avoid rental scams.
If you encounter suspicious situations, you can call the 165 Anti-Fraud Consultation Hotline to verify or directly report to the police for assistance.
