Kamernet is a quick and easy way to find a new home by getting in direct contact with landlords and roommates. Most of these landlords have good intentions, are legitimate and reliable.
Unfortunately, there is a small group that wants to take advantage of the trust people have in Kamernet. These people are scammers.
In this article, we'll help you understand what scammers are, how you can recognise them, what you should do if you encounter them and what Kamernet does to stop them.
How do I recognise a scammer?
Scammers are people that try abuse a person's good intentions and scam you to steal your money and personal information. It is a form of online fraud where they try to fool you to transfer money to them. Generally, a scammer offers a room, studio or apartment at a great location for an even greater price.
You can recognise a scammer by being mindful of the scenarios below:
It almost always concerns a person in a foreign country.
A scammer will ask you to pay a deposit on the property (perhaps even some months advanced rent), even before you have viewed the house.
A scammer will ask you to transfer money via semi-anonymous services like Western Union, MoneyGram and other well known housing websites. They do this because money transfers are not always traceable via these services. They can also ask you to send the money via TNT or UPS and that upon receiving the money they send the keys.
A scammer will send you a website that looks reliable, this is however a fake copy of a well known housing website. Make sure that it is a secure website and when in doubt, contact us.
A scammer will ask you to continue your communication via a different platform than Kamernet, for example e-mail or Skype.
A scammer will not answer your question clearly or will ignore it.
A scammer is not fluent in Dutch or prefers English. Now this doesn't have to indicate you are talking to a scammer but it is something to look out for. The message of the scammer will resemble a text that was translated online (Google Translate) .
A scammer sends you a website that is a copy of a known website, the URL is different from the original website. Kamernet always has .nl in the URL and starts with https://.
What can I do against scammers?
Sometimes, honest landlords can ask for a deposit or would like to communicate via phone or e-mail as well.
Thus, it is important to remember that a scam usually involves a combination of the points mentioned above.
However, if you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a landlord on Kamernet, feel free to contact us. It is always better to be safe than sorry in this case.
Please always keep the following tips in mind if you search on Kamernet:
Always use common sense: if something seems to good to be true, it most likely is the case.
Make sure that the website is safe, the URL starts with https:// and you can find a "lock" in the address bar.
If a landlord is located abroad or asks you to transfer money via Westen Union, Aribnb or Moneygram, notify us directly.
Never give anyone an advanced copy of you ID or passport – some might abuse this as well.
Remember to always create and sign a rental agreement before you pay.
Do you have doubts? Always report the potential scammer to us!
Reporting a user
When you run into something suspicious on our website please report it trough the report buttons on the website.
On the user page.
The page of the listing.
Within the conversation/messaging.
What happens after I reported a user?
When a you report abuse or a scam an investigation is triggered.
During our investigation we go through any history the user has and what kind of action was taken at the time (if there is any).
When it is determined that the user is indeed a scammer, we add the label 'BLOCKED USER' to the profile. This alerts other users that this person is not reliable.
Everyone who has been in contact with the scammer gets notified by email.