🏠HousingUpdated: May 2026

🎣 I think my online rental listing is a scam — what now?

Direct answer

Suspected online rental scam: (1) Stop all payments immediately — call your bank fraud line for chargeback (often recoverable within 14 days). (2) Check red flags: price well below market, landlord “working abroad”, pay-before-view, asks for Western Union/cash, no video-call possible, cloned profile. (3) !WOON Amsterdam: free check + help 020-523 0130, recovered €15M in unjust fees in 2024. (4) Police report: politie.nl online. (5) Report platform: flag the Marktplaats, Kamernet or Facebook profile. (6) Prevent: use Kamernet/Pararius/Funda with identity-check, ask for deed, know someone who visits physically. Common Reddit issue 2025-2026.

First step

Bank chargeback < 14d

Free help

!WOON

Red flags

5 patterns

Step by step

1
Stop all payments immediately
Call bank fraud line within 14 days for chargeback. iDEAL/Tikkie often recoverable if not yet settled. Keep all messages/screenshots as evidence.
2
Call !WOON Amsterdam
020-523 0130 free tenant help. They assist with legal steps and have extensive scam-case experience. No visit needed — phone suffices.
3
Online police report
politie.nl > Report > Internet fraud. Report number needed for bank + insurer. Big amounts (>€5,000): legal aid procedure possible.
4
Report platform + account
On Kamernet/Marktplaats/Facebook: flag the profile. Makes platform liable and helps others. Keep screenshot of profile + listing for your own file.
5
Be cautious next time
Only use trusted platforms (Pararius, Funda, Kamernet with verification). Always ask for deed. Physical viewing mandatory before signing or paying.

All contacts

!WOON AmsterdamFree tenant help + scam check

First step on suspicion

📞 020-523 0130 🔗 wooninfo.nl

Politie aangifte onlineOfficial internet fraud report

Required for bank chargeback

📞 0900-8844 🔗 politie.nl

Eigen bank fraude-meldpuntChargeback within 14 days

Immediately after discovery

📞 eigen bank

FraudehelpdeskNational fraud reporting + advice

For advice + national statistics

📞 088-786 7372 🔗 fraudehelpdesk.nl

Is Dit Veilig? scam-checkerCheck links + numbers in advance

For prevention

🔗 ffcheck.nl/is-dit-veilig

Frequently asked questions

Will I get my money back from online rental scam?

Sometimes: bank chargeback within 14 days (~30% success rate), Bunq/Revolut faster than ING/ABN. Police report required for bank claim. Cash/Western Union: virtually never recovered.

What are the top-5 red flags?

1) Price <70% of market. 2) “I'm abroad”. 3) Wants payment before viewing. 4) Western Union/cash/crypto. 5) Refuses video call. 2+ red flags: 95%+ scam likelihood.

Can a landlord charge a “reservation fee”?

Since July 2023: NO. Good Landlordship Act bans separate fees beyond deposit (max 2 mo base rent). !WOON has strong claim success record. Send demand letter within 6 months of payment.

How do I trust a platform?

Pararius/Funda: real estate broker associations NVM/VBO, professional standard. Kamernet: identity verification since 2024. Marktplaats/Facebook: low verification, use with great caution.

Is reverse Google image search on landlord photo useful?

Yes, one of the best check tools. Photo often stolen from Instagram influencer or foreign real estate site. Positive reverse result: 99% scam. Use images.google.com or TinEye.

Can I reverse payment made under false identity?

For chargeback: stopping before SEPA transfer enough (within 24-72h). Bunq/Revolut: in-app stop directly. With identity fraud argument: bank likely agrees to reversal.

Sources

🔎 Common search queries

Recognise your own search? Our answer above covers all of these variants.

“rental scam Amsterdam”
“Kamernet scam protection”
“fake landlord deposit theft”
“!WOON tenant help”
“Marktplaats rental fraud Netherlands”