Hello everyone

Is anyone notice that sometimes there is a flat with cheap rental posted in weekend night only.

Because I am looking for the apartment for several months in Bern, and I usually receive the emails from ImmoScout24.
Recently I realized a strange situation, not sure it is a fraud or not. That is I notice there is a post of luxury apartment for rent, usually in downtown location, big space 80m2-100m2, but with below market rental, for example, the similar conditions in the same area should be 2000-2300 CHF/month, but the advertising one only rent for 1500 CHF/month.

Now my case started last Sunday....
The flat is in embassy area in Bern, location and facilities are all in good conditions( from pics). I saw the ad last Sunday, and sent out the requirement immediately. However, when I want to click the ad again Next day, it already gone. But I got the reply from the owner.

Out contact is through email, the owner is not living in Switzerland, if we would like to check the flat, we have to pay one month rental as a security deposit through Airbnb, then the owner mail the key by DHL to us, then when we finish checking, we can ask for refund in Airbnb then return the key to owner.

So I am wondering why and does anyone has experience about it?

Why do have even the slightest doubt about this being a scam?

I would be very, very suspicious.

Why not ask AirBnB what they think.

I say go for it!

You won't even have to meet the owner in person, just send money. The price can't be beat and it's convenient for you as well. What could go wrong? It sounds like you've really lucked out in seeing that post and replying before anyone else.

See this post
https://www.englishforum.ch/housing-...-ibis-com.html

I can sense that roundabout in a few days you will then write a post about being scammed and how to get your money back...

I was taught quite young that if it seems too good to be true, it likely is as well as to follow your gut...

Welcome to the forum.

I'm answering, just in case your question is genuine. And because I've seen people, perhaps because they are young, and inexperienced in changing countries, and who are trying to understand how things work in Switzerland, falling for the deceipt of such a deal.

Yes, this is a scam.
Yes, it is fraud.

My advice is this:

1. Do not participate in such a strange rental situation, ever. As others have said: If it is "too good to be true", then it is just that: not true.
   
   
2. Do not give any information about yourself to the person whom you are mailing, who has pretended to be renting out an apartment.
   
   
3. If you have already given them your bank details, change your online log-in security (passwords, secure information, etc.)
   
   
4. Block that sender from writing to you, or else change your email.

Thanks a lot! I would not have further contact with that owner again.

Because the situation is really weird

Thanks a lot!

The information is useful...I think it’s better I stop the whole process.


Hello everyone

Thanks for all your advices, they are very useful.

I stop to have further contact with “that landlord”.

And luckily I didn’t give any id information or pay any deposit.

Thanks again for all your help! Have a nice evening

https://www.forbes.com/sites/reneemo.../#2b277e9e670c

See the bold part? If you even spend a single second of thought on this "flat" you are complete, excuse my bold language, fool and a stupid idiot. Not even Mr. T would have any pity with you.

In short: Never, ever pay anything to visit a flat, apartment, or house (apart for the tram ticket for yourself to get to the location). Never, ever pay anything before you signed the rental contract (apart for the nice pen you bought for yourself to sign the contract).

Or young, naive, first time away from home, first time in a new country, first time having to find accommmodation by oneself rather than with the support of another person or agency, trying to have an open mind while getting one's head around the way things might be done differently "here" from "there", etc.

I agree, though, that this whole matter screams "scam!" very loudly.

Good for you, OP, that you hesitated and checked, rather than falling for the malicious tricks of the scammer.

Sounds like a scam, to be sure. The scammer did a decent job of pricing the apartment at below market price, but not so far below the market price as to be an obvious fake.
And if i was a scammer, i would look to maximise my return per victim, and so would choose the area in the world with one of the highest market for housing rents... Zurich

Now, there's a thought.

There is a fine line between sarcastic and devilish which I do not think being sarcastic is appropriate in this post as the OP appears to be genuinely clueless how things work in Switzerland.

Have a heart!!

In what country do you have to pay a deposit for a viewing? Serious question.

This is irrelevant. Things may work differently in different country. Simple as that.

For instance,I still feel utterly and completely like being seen naked when applying for an apartment here as one needs to reveal to the owner how much he earns a month, and giving out the contact number of the employee to verify that info? Seriously? Yes, it is!

Tell me is this practice common throughout the world?