Short Answer

Any landlord who claims to be out of the country and promises to mail you the keys after receiving a wire transfer is a criminal.

Physical possession of the keys and an in-person apartment inspection must always precede your first financial transaction.

What Most Expats Don't Realize

You found a stunning, underpriced apartment online and reviewed a digital copy of the landlord’s passport to verify their identity. You wired the first month's rent and deposit because they explained they were working abroad and would mail the keys via courier. You stood outside the building waiting for a package that never arrived, realizing too late that the passport scan was stolen and the apartment belonged to a holiday rental. You lost €2,400 to an untraceable foreign bank account with no way to recover the funds.

What To Do

  • Call off any real estate transaction that demands an advance payment via bank transfer or Western Union before a physical viewing.
  • Bring a local friend or translator to verify the physical apartment and match the landlord’s name to the mailbox.
  • "Ich zahle die Kaution erst nach der Schlüsselübergabe." (I will only pay the deposit after the keys are handed over.) — state this position clearly during negotiation.

The Truth

Germany’s digital real estate platforms are heavily targeted by sophisticated international fraud rings exploiting high demand. The system offers no financial insurance or administrative recovery mechanisms for bank transfers authorized voluntarily by fraud victims.