Ad: https://www.wg-gesucht.de/11452488.html

This is an ad from a studio apartment in Erlangen. The room looks really nice and the rent is only 440€. But they apparently do the Schlüsselubergabe through "booking.com" – just while writing this message I hear " SCAM!" in my head. What is the possibility that this is legit? I have attached a message from them also.

by Dizzy-Traffic

20 comments

  3. If Booking.com is mentioned it is ALWAYS a scam. Why do people even keep asking the same thing over and over again…

  4. The text gives me very strong google translator vibes, this is fake

  5. Scam.

    1. their jobs are not relevant for renting out an apartment

    2. [Booking.com](http://Booking.com) is for vacation, not for permanent rentals and it’s often used for scams.

    If people tell you personal stuff and want to use [booking.com](http://booking.com) it’s 100% a scam.

  7. !housing

    Read those Wiki pages, particularly the second one.

    > What is the possibility that this is legit?

    0 percent. And that isn’t a rounded number.

  9. when i was 18 and looking for a first appartment, i nearly fell for this shit. It was in Austria and it was not booking it was Airbnb. Fortunately i was smart enough to call Airbnb and they told me it was a scam

  10. Only 440 euros including utilities in Erlangen would be enough to raise red flags for me, but Booking.com really is what gives away that this is without a doubt a scam.

  13. Scam. If you google the adress, you come out at an actual official Ferienwohnung or vacation home that the scammers took the adress from. And booking is only for temporary rentals – it’s a third party booking provider for vacation homes, hotels and such things and has no in person staff to meet you anywhere.

    100% scam.

  14. Like others say, booking and 440, use common sense and realize it’s fake.

  15. Like others say, booking and 440, use common sense and realize it’s fake. With the current housing issues in Germany, this happens frequently, so be careful.

  16. Alone the wall of text is enough to say it’s a scam (without reading it).

  17. Looks like it is. But what’s the goal of this scam?

  19. It’s scam, because

    – it’s a well known scam that scammers have done for decades. But here’s what gives you hints:

    – they mention their profession, the name of their wife and their profession. No one does that, because it has nothing to do with renting the Appartement. It’s only to make you feel that these are some innocent trustworthy people.

    – that is way too cheap for that size and a furnished Appartment, especially since…

    – the rent includes electricity and internet. That’s almost always separate (apart from student dorms). Again to trick you into thinking this is a good deal.

    – they say they are busy and hired a contractor to do the renting. However they still spend time reading and writing these emails. That does not make sense. While some landlords do outsource their renting to a company („Hausverwaltung“), in these cases you deal with this company only and the company is your de facto landlord.

    – They also write that they will organize meetings with you and that company. And that you have to send them a form which they will send to that company. Although they said that they are very busy and hired a company to do all the work 🙃

    – they emphasize that the company is legal. That’s a thing only scammers write.

    – the German is a bit….weird…. Sounds like Google translate

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