Rental scams are a real problem in Memphis, and they have gotten harder to spot. Scammers now copy real listings, paste fake contact info, and post them on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Zillow before the legitimate landlord even knows it happened. If you are apartment hunting right now, here is what to watch for and how to protect yourself before you hand over a dollar.
The fake listing trap
The most common scam in Memphis starts with a legitimate property. A scammer finds a real rental listing, lifts the photos, and re-posts it at a lower price under a different phone number or email. The landlord claims to be out of town, out of the country, or otherwise unavailable to show the unit. They will ask you to send a deposit to hold it, promising to mail you the keys.
The giveaway is almost always the price. If a two-bedroom in Cordova or East Memphis is listed at 00/month when comparable units are running ,100 or more, that gap is doing a lot of work. Check what similar properties actually rent for using Zillow’s rent estimates or by calling a couple of local management companies directly. A price that is 00 below market is not a deal — it is bait.
Wire transfers and gift cards are one-way doors
Any landlord who insists on a wire transfer, Zelle, Venmo, or gift cards to hold an apartment should be declined immediately. Legitimate property management companies accept checks, money orders, or traceable payments through a verifiable business account. Wire transfers and app payments to individual accounts are effectively unrecoverable once sent — which is exactly why scammers prefer them.
In Tennessee, a legitimate landlord is required to provide a written receipt for any security deposit and to hold it in a separate account. If someone cannot or will not tell you where your deposit is held, walk away.
Ghost landlords and no-show showings
Another pattern: you schedule a showing and get a lockbox code, or the landlord gives you an address and tells you to walk through on your own. Sometimes the unit is actually vacant and you can get in. Sometimes it is occupied and the current tenant has no idea their address is being used in a scam.
Real showings involve a real person — a leasing agent, a property manager, or the actual owner. If no one is willing to meet you at the property, that is a serious red flag. Ask to verify the person’s identity and their connection to the property. A quick search of Memphis Shelby County property records (available free at assessor.shelby.tn.us) will show you who actually owns a given address. If the name does not match who you are talking to, ask why.
“Too busy to meet” is the scammer’s alibi
Scammers rely on urgency and unavailability. They will tell you the unit has multiple interested renters, that they need a deposit today to hold it, and that they personally cannot be in town for another two weeks. This pressure script is nearly word-for-word the same across thousands of reported scams.
Slow down. Any landlord who will not hold a unit for 24 to 48 hours while you verify the listing and schedule an in-person visit is not someone you want to rent from anyway. Scarcity pressure is a sales tactic — a legitimate property manager wants a good tenant more than they want your deposit in the next hour.
How to verify before you commit
- Search the address on the Shelby County Assessor’s site to confirm ownership
- Reverse-search the listing photos using Google Images to check if they have been lifted from another site
- Look up the management company or landlord by name online — a real company will have reviews, a website, and a verifiable business address
- Call rather than text — it is harder to maintain a scam persona in a live conversation
- Never send money before signing a written lease and receiving copies of all documents
Working with a local management company
One straightforward way to sidestep this problem is to rent through a local management company with a verifiable track record. Apartments Near Me has managed rental properties across the Memphis area for years, with real staff, real offices, and a transparent leasing process. Every unit we list is one we actually manage. You can tour in person, sign a real lease, and pay through a documented business process.
If you find a listing that claims to be one of our properties but the contact information does not match our website, call us directly. Scammers occasionally copy listings from Memphis management companies — ours included — and it takes about two minutes to confirm whether a listing is legitimate.
If you think you have been scammed
Report it to the Tennessee Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you sent money, contact your bank immediately — wire recalls are time-sensitive and occasionally successful within the first 24 hours. File a police report with Memphis Police Department even if recovery seems unlikely; reports build the case record that investigators use to pursue larger operations.
Apartment hunting is stressful enough without worrying about fraud. Taking an extra few minutes to verify before you pay is usually all it takes.
