TL;DR: In March 2024, Police warned that fraudsters posing as landlords or agents were targeting people, especially new arrivals to Auckland, through rental ads on a Chinese-language forum and chats on WeChat. Victims got fake ID documents, signed fake tenancy agreements, paid to "reserve" the property, then paid again to "furnish" it, and arrived to find it already rented. Each payment was typically thousands of dollars. Never pay for a place you can’t verify.
How it worked
From 1News:
- Listings appear on a popular NZ-based Chinese web forum.
- Contact moves to WeChat.
- The "landlord" sends fake identity documents.
- You sign a false tenancy agreement and pay into a NZ bank account.
- More payments to "reserve" it because "another tenant is interested."
- A final payment to "furnish" the property.
- You arrive in New Zealand. The property is already rented to someone else.
The scam targets people who can’t inspect a property in person. Distance is the scammer’s best friend.
Police advice
- Don’t transfer money to anyone you can’t verify.
- Real landlords or agents have a website and physical address, and you can speak to more than one person there.
- Have a NZ-based friend or relative view the property for you.
- Suspect a scam? Stop contact and contact Police.
- Trust your instincts.
- Report and learn more at Netsafe.
More checks before you pay
- Search the address online; if the same photos show up in another listing, walk away.
- Ask to video call inside the property, live, and ask them to show something specific.
- Never pay extra to "beat another tenant."
- Pay bonds properly: in NZ, landlords lodge bonds with Tenancy Services, so ask how the bond will be lodged.
The same tricks, in English
This isn’t only a WeChat problem. The Real Estate Institute (REINZ) warned tenants in July 2023 about cases including:
- a real agency’s listing copied onto a personal Facebook page, where the "landlord" took a victim’s details and bond;
- a scammer posing as the owner after a viewing, offering the house "outside the agency" for an immediate deposit (the bank reversed it in time);
- emails using an agency’s name and logo for listings in a city it doesn’t even operate in.
The agency said victims risk losing up to five weeks’ rent and bond. Its tips:
- Confirm the manager or owner using contact details you find yourself, not ones from social media.
- Use official listing sites, agency websites or office numbers.
- Be wary of rent well below market, or the same house listed at two prices.
- Don’t pay upfront before you’ve confirmed who you’re dealing with.
- Get a written tenancy agreement, sign in person, and confirm the person owns or is authorised to rent the property. Scammers have produced fake agreements using MBIE’s own template.
If you’ve paid
- Call your bank immediately.
- Report to Police (105) and Netsafe.
- Keep every message, document and receipt.
More on rental fraud: fake rental listings and rental scam statistics. A free exposure check shows whether your contact details are in breach data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can you lose to a rental scam in NZ?
REINZ’s warning cited an agency saying victims risk losing up to five weeks’ rent and bond.
How do rental scams work in NZ?
Fraudsters pose as landlords or agents, send fake IDs and tenancy agreements, and take payments for properties that are already rented.
Who do rental scammers target in NZ?
Police warned in 2024 that scammers targeted people arranging Auckland rentals from overseas via a Chinese-language forum and WeChat.
How can I check a rental is real?
Verify the agent’s website and address, speak to more than one person, and have someone in NZ view the property.
Sources
- Newstalk ZB: Real Estate Institute warns tenants of online rental scams (Jul 2023)
- 1News: Rent fraudsters target Chinese community, police warn (Mar 2024)