Gardaí are warning college students to be wary of rental scams with a 30 per cent increase in accommodation fraud.
As the new term begins, they're appealing to people to be cautious, particularly those moving to Dublin where about half of rental scams take place.
1 in 2 victims are under the age of 25 while the median amount stolen is €1,300.
Gardaí are advising house hunters to only use trusted landlords or letting agencies, to never deal in cash and to never agree to rent a property without first viewing it in person.
Officers also say foreign-based landlords or those who only contact you through social media are other signs of a potential fraudster.
So far this year €291,452 has been stolen through accommodation fraud, compared to €250,000 in 2019.
