More than three dozen residents of Vitebsk fell for the trick of scammers when searching for housing

The details of the story are provided by the press service of the Department of Internal Affairs of the regional Executive Committee.

On various Internet sites, scammers placed an advertisement for renting a cozy apartment in the city center, on Frunze Avenue.

In all cases, the victims agreed on the lease in correspondence via messenger. In order to reserve rental housing, potential tenants were offered to pay a deposit. Each of the victims transferred from 200 to 350 rubles as a deposit to the details indicated by the false owner. After that, the tenants were left without money and an apartment.

The guests of our city, foreign students, were no exception. The guy and the girl found an ad on an online trading platform and, after a short correspondence, agreed to transfer an advance payment of 220 rubles in order to outbid the competitors' offer. At the appointed time, they came to a meeting with the landlady of the apartment, but without waiting for anyone, they turned to the police.

Dear citizens!

Remember, one of the most common fraudulent schemes when searching for rental housing is prepayment. You should not contact a potential landlord via messengers. It is better to arrange a personal meeting, inspect the apartment, and draw up the necessary documents. The money can be given only after signing the contract of employment.