How safe is it to rent a room through skot.be?

We monitor all adverts on the site for suspicious activity, so we are fairly confident that our adverts are safe. But we can't make any promises: there are always scammers trying to place new adverts and find new victims.

If possible visit the property and meet the owner before deciding to send any money. You can also ask to see ID and paperwork related to the house.

Also have a look at how long the advertiser has been active on skot.be: scammers set up fake accounts, operate for a few days, then leave and create a new identity before they can be caught. Established advertisers (more than a couple of months) are much more likely to be safe.

Next, understand some of the tricks scammers use and look out for them. Then be prepared to forget about an advert if it seems suspicious.

• Scammers try to make their adverts appear very attractive. If the advert looks too good to be true, then be extra careful.
• They may be reluctant to meet you in person, or insist that you only contact them by private email.
• They will often ask you to use money transfer services like Western Union, or bank transfers outside of Belgium. They don't want to be traced, or for you to be able to demand a refund.
• They want you to send them money as quickly as possible. Look out for any tricks to pressure you, for example telling you that someone else is about to take the room if you do not send money straight away.

Finally, and this can be hard, try not to get too attached to a room. Keep some emotional distance, think critically about the offer, and be prepared to walk away if you spot something suspicious. This way you'll be far less likely to become a victim.

If you think an advertiser may be trying to scam you, then please contact us so that we can take down the advert and warn others.