‘Too good to be true’: Redditor exposes new rental scam offering cheap flats in Bengaluru

The Redditor said he came across multiple ads for fully furnished 2BHK flats, complete with appliances and access to amenities like a gym and swimming pool, priced at just Rs 15,000 in areas such as JP Nagar.

The scammer asks for a refundable Rs 2,500 to create the entry card to see the rental flat

A Bengaluru resident has sparked an online discussion after posting on Reddit about what he calls a new kind of rental scam targeting people hunting for reasonably priced apartments in the city.

In his post, titled ‘Bengaluru New Flat Rental Scam’, he broke down how fraudsters are using unbelievably cheap listings on well-known property websites to trap desperate tenants.

The Redditor said he came across multiple ads for fully furnished 2BHK flats, complete with appliances and access to amenities like a gym and swimming pool, priced at just Rs 15,000 in areas such as JP Nagar. The too-good-to-believe rate made him wary, but he decided to investigate anyway.

“I was already skeptical as it was fully furnished 2BHK, for just 15K… TV, Fridge, Washing Machine everything,” he wrote, saying the listing immediately raised red flags.

When he called the number provided, the so-called landlord claimed that society rules prevented direct visits and insisted that an entry ID card had to be generated first. To get this pass, the tenant would need to send a photo and a government ID. The Redditor warned others never to hand over personal details to strangers. As he put it: “In this world of AI a single photo can be used to blackmail you into doing many things.”

The real trap, he said, came next: the scammer asked for a refundable Rs 2,500 to create the entry card. Once someone pays, the scammer vanishes. When the poster insisted on meeting at the society gate and getting the ID verified by security first, the caller disconnected immediately.

He mentioned spotting at least two identical listings, suggesting this trick may be spreading.

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Bengaluru New Flat Rental Scam
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The post quickly gained traction, with many agreeing that fraudsters are exploiting Bengaluru’s intense rental demand. Several commenters shared similar run-ins and urged others to avoid sharing IDs, making advance payments, or trusting deals that seem far too generous.

A user wrote, “Faced this same scam 2 years ago, had to pay 500 as a token amount. NEVER EVER PAY MONEY JUST TO SEE A FLAT. MAJOR RED FLAG. Go for brokers instead. They take one months rent as brokerage but that means u can look at any number of houses until ur fully satisfied and then give them the brokerage once agreement is signed.”

Another user commented, “More than the scam I appreciate their creativity and innovation. If they did even 50% of such innovation for ethical in their jobs they would have owned the flat itself. OP thanks for sharing this.”

A third person shared, “No way OP why didn’t you posted it earlier. I am new to Bangalore and got scammed of 20K today.”