Rental scams in Greece: spotting a fake room before you pay

How a rental scam is set up

The stories the Greek press reports every year are strikingly alike. The listing has good photos, a good area and a price below what you see elsewhere. When you write, the reply is quick and friendly, but something is missing: there is no way to see the place.

• The photos are lifted from another listing, or from a home that has nothing to do with this one.
• The “owner” says they are abroad; the keys will be sent to you once you pay.
• There is pressure: “huge demand”, “others are waiting”, “send the deposit quickly”.
• You are asked for an advance or a deposit to “hold” the place, before any viewing.
• The same flat is “rented” to many people at once, and each one pays for something they will never get.

A seasonal worker looking for a room on an island from far away, unable to go and see it, is precisely who this script is written for. So the simplest question is also the most effective: “Can someone see the place in person?” With a fake listing, that is where the excuses start.

Red flags in the listing and the chat

One sign on its own proves nothing. Two or three together are a reason to stop.

• They push you straight to WhatsApp, Viber or email, before anything is agreed.
• They refuse a video call from inside the place, and refuse to let anyone who is there show it to you.
• The price is far below the other homes in the area, with no explanation.
• They ask up front for card details, codes, or a photo of your ID or passport.
• They send a link for “secure payment”, or a booking page that looks like a well-known platform but whose address is slightly off.
• One name on the listing, another in the chat, and a third on the bank account they give you.
• An “agent”, “cousin” or “manager” speaks for the owner, but you cannot confirm who they are.
• The replies read like templates and avoid every specific question about the place.

Before you send any money

1. Have the place seen in person, by you or someone you trust, and compare it with the listing's photos.
2. Run the photos through a reverse image search. If they turn up in another town or another listing, stop.
3. Make sure the person asking for money really is the owner. If you are dealing with an agent or a representative, confirm their business and that they have the right to let the home.
4. Pay only into a bank account in the name of the owner you have verified. Look at the account holder before you send.
5. Never give card details, a PIN or online-banking codes, and never pay through a link someone sent you.
6. Ask for a written, signed lease (in Greek, «μισθωτήριο») that states the full agreed rent, and a receipt for every payment.
7. Keep a copy of the listing and every message until you have moved in.

These steps follow the tenant advice of ΠΟΜΙΔΑ, the Greek property owners' federation, and the rental rules published in the Greek press. Time pressure is no reason to skip them: a home that is “gone” the moment you ask to see it was never yours.

What Recruvo does, and what it doesn't

On Find your Home, every home is reviewed by the Recruvo team before it is published. On top of that, a few safeguards close the most common routes a scam takes:

• Contact details stay hidden until the request is accepted. Phone numbers, emails, links and account names, WhatsApp or Viber included, show up as “hidden”. If you press “Send anyway”, the message goes out without them.
• The map pin is approximate — the exact address appears once the request is accepted.
• The “Ownership verified” badge means the team reviewed a document about who controls the property. It is not an inspection of the place and does not cover the deposit you pay.
• Recruvo doesn't handle payments and doesn't guarantee any transaction. So nobody has a reason to ask you for money “through Recruvo”.

The hiding is automatic and catches the usual forms, but it is a filter, not a person reading the messages. So if someone insists on moving off the app before the request is accepted, that in itself is a sign. And the rule the app states holds everywhere: deposit and rent are paid directly to the landlord, never before you've seen the place. For how to look for housing in the first place, read the housing guide for the season.

If you have already been scammed

1. Call your bank, or the payment service you used, straight away. The sooner, the better.
2. Report it to the Hellenic Police Cybercrime Division (Διεύθυνση Δίωξης Κυβερνοεγκλήματος, also known as Δίωξη Ηλεκτρονικού Εγκλήματος): on 11188, free and around the clock, at [email protected], or online through gov.gr.
3. Keep the messages, the listing and your proof of payment; you will be asked for them.
4. If the listing or the chat was on Recruvo, write to us with the link to the home, so the next person doesn't see it.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, ask the authorities or a lawyer.

The same goes for job offers

A job that “comes with a room” carries the same risk: if you are asked for a deposit on staff housing before you arrive, it is the same script in different clothes. For the signs of a fake job offer, read is this Greek job offer real?. For anything else, see the frequently asked questions.