Social media platforms have become hunting grounds for sophisticated rental scammers who are stealing real estate agents’ identities and legitimate property listings to fleece desperate renters out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Story Snapshot
- FBI reports rental scams on social media generated $600,000 in losses in just five months of 2025.
- Fraudsters steal real agents’ identities and legitimate property videos to create convincing fake listings.
- Victims pay application fees of $350 or more for apartments they’ll never see.
- Tech giants like Meta and TikTok struggle to keep pace with rapidly multiplying scam accounts.
FBI Data Shows Explosive Growth in Social Media Rental Fraud
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center documented a disturbing trend in rental fraud targeting social media users. In the first five months of 2025 alone, the agency received over 130 real estate complaints specifically referencing social media platforms, resulting in approximately $600,000 in documented losses.
This represents a concerning acceleration compared to 2024, when there were 150 complaints and $1.5 million in losses across the entire year.
Fraudsters are using real apartment listings and stolen agents’ identities on social media to scam prospective renters into paying fake fees.https://t.co/YYxrqmR4Jl
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) November 6, 2025
Scammers Deploy Advanced Identity Theft Tactics
These criminal operations demonstrate remarkable sophistication in their deception methods. Fraudsters systematically steal real estate agents’ names, license numbers, and professional photographs to create convincing fake profiles.
When questioned by potential victims, they provide doctored images of legitimate licenses and direct people to elaborate fake company websites complete with authentic-looking agent photos and contact information. The scams have become so convincing that even experienced real estate professionals’ own family members have been fooled.
Legitimate Agents Face Professional Damage from Impersonators
Real estate professionals like Shane Boyle from Compass have become unwilling victims themselves, watching helplessly as scammers hijack their professional identities.
Boyle regularly receives angry phone calls and hostile social media comments from people who believe he personally defrauded them. The emotional toll on legitimate agents is severe, with many reporting that the constant barrage of accusations affects their mental health and professional reputation despite their innocence in these schemes.
Video Content Theft Creates Believable Fake Listings
Scammers have escalated their tactics by stealing legitimate apartment tour videos from successful real estate agents’ social media accounts. Mike Bussey, who operates Real NYC Apartments and has a substantial social media following, has reported that his videos have been reposted over 1,000 times on fake accounts.
In one documented case, criminals filmed a $12,000-per-month Manhattan apartment and reposted it, claiming the unit was available for just $1,700 monthly, creating an irresistible but fraudulent opportunity.
Tech Platforms Struggle Against Rapidly Adapting Criminals
Despite efforts by major social media companies to combat these scams, the problem continues to grow exponentially. TikTok claims it proactively removed 97% of impersonation content in the first quarter of 2025, while Meta employs both automated and manual systems to identify fraudulent accounts.
However, both legitimate agents and law enforcement describe the situation as a “whack-a-mole” scenario where removing one fake account often results in two or more appearing the next day.
