Students urged not to fall for rental fraudsters

Dr Rasha Kassem, senior academic and leader of the Fraud Research Group at Aston University, says greater fraud awareness is needed after gardai urged students not to fall for accommodation fraud and fake landlords.

She said: “This article highlights an important issue, particularly as students preparing for university may be navigating the rental market and managing their finances independently for the first time.

“However, we need to move beyond simply telling people not to “fall for fraud”.

“Language matters. Phrases such as “fall for fraud” can unintentionally place responsibility on victims, implying that they should have recognised the deception.

“Fraudsters deliberately use sophisticated techniques to create credible situations, build trust and generate urgency. Fraud does not always look “too good to be true”; often, successful fraud looks entirely plausible.

“What students need is greater fraud awareness and practical knowledge about how fraud works. In the context of accommodation fraud, this means understanding how fraudulent listings are created, independently verifying properties and landlords, questioning requests for deposits before viewing a property, and using secure and traceable payment methods.

“The article also raises the issue of young people being recruited as money mules. While important, this is distinct from accommodation fraud and requires its own prevention message.

“Young people may be knowingly recruited, but some can also be deceived, manipulated or exploited into moving money for criminals.

“More broadly, building students’ resilience to fraud requires a collective response. Universities have an important role, but responsibility should not rest with educational institutions or individual students alone.

“Banks, technology and social media companies, rental platforms, accommodation providers, law enforcement, government and schools all have a role in creating safer environments and equipping young people with the knowledge and practical skills to recognise and respond to fraud.

“Prevention needs to address not only individual awareness, but also the systems and environments that fraudsters exploit.”