Is this DFW listing a scam?
Remote Prop View checks any DFW address against real county records and a trust score - so you can spot a fake listing before you pay.
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The numbers: fraud is at record highs
The latest federal data shows just how large the problem has become:
- ✓Consumers have reported 65,000+ rental scams to the FTC since 2020, with roughly $65 million in reported losses.
- ✓The FBI logged 9,359 real-estate fraud complaints in 2024 (over $173M in losses), rising toward $275M in 2025.
- ✓Renters aged 18-29 are hit hardest, filing 46% of the rental-scam reports that included a loss.
- ✓Overall, Americans reported $12.5 billion lost to fraud in 2024 - up 25% year over year (FTC).
The scam patterns hitting DFW renters
The fast-growing, high-relocation DFW market is a prime target. The common plays:
- ✓Cloned listings - a real listing's photos and details reposted at a below-market price on Facebook or Craigslist.
- ✓The "out-of-town landlord" - the "owner" is traveling or abroad, can only text, and wants a deposit to "hold" the unit.
- ✓Wire-fraud / deposit-before-viewing - pressure to send money before you have seen the unit or signed a real lease.
- ✓Hijacked property managers - scammers impersonate a real complex or agent using a lookalike email or phone number.
Verify any listing before you pay (checklist)
Almost every rental scam fails this checklist:
- ✓Confirm the listing exists from the real source (the complex's own site or a verified MLS), not just a social post.
- ✓Never wire money or pay a deposit before an in-person or verified virtual tour and a signed lease.
- ✓Reverse-image-search the photos - cloned listings reuse stock or stolen images.
- ✓Be suspicious of below-market rent + urgency ("several people are interested").
- ✓Verify the address and ownership against public county records before you send anything.
Full Guide Contents
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The full report adds the DFW scam red-flag scorecard, the wire-transfer safety script, and what to do if you have already paid a scammer.
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