The Red Flags We Don't Want House48 Users Ignoring

Online property marketplaces are among the highest-value transaction environments on the internet. Which makes them, in some cases, a target for the same bad actors who operate anywhere large sums of money are changing hands.

The good news is that the warning signs are recognisable. Here's what to watch for.

A price that's significantly below market. The most common hook in property fraud is an attractive price. Not slightly competitive, noticeably below what comparable properties in the same area are going for. If the first reaction to a listing is "this seems too good," that instinct is usually right. Investigate before you get excited.

Read: Would You Send Money to Someone You Met Online Without Knowing Who They Are?

A seller who wants to move fast. Urgency is a tactic. Phrases like "there are other interested buyers", "I need to close by the end of the week", or "I can hold it for you if you send a small deposit today" are designed to compress the decision-making process before you've had time to check anything. Legitimate sellers want a transaction that completes cleanly. Fraudulent ones want money before you've verified anything.

A request to communicate off-platform. Moving to WhatsApp, personal email, or a direct phone call before the conversation has developed properly is sometimes innocent and sometimes not. The risk of going off-platform is that you lose the record, the accountability, and the buyer protections that come with keeping things in the marketplace.

Read: What Should You Check Before Trusting a Property Listing?

Payment requests to a third party. A "lawyer", "agent", or "escrow service" introduced by the seller who needs to be paid directly, through a channel that doesn't connect back to the platform, is one of the clearest signals of fraud.

A seller who can't answer specific questions about the property. Genuine sellers know their properties. If specific questions about the floor plan, the title, the service history, or the neighbourhood produce vague or deflective answers, the listing may not be what it appears.

None of these signals in isolation guarantees fraud. Several of them together should stop the conversation until they're resolved.

Report suspicious listings at thehouse48.com