TikTok has arguably changed the property market game. But one Texas man almost became the victim of a scam after a house looked too good to be true.
As previously reported by BroBible, there is a problem with real estate scams at the moment. But this TikTok, which has garnered 28,000 views, is arguably an even bigger red flag.
In a 10-minute-long video, TikTok user Matthew Daniels (@matthewdaniels073) began by explaining how he found a potential home to rent on TikTok. Showing viewers the image, it was presented as a four-bed, with two and a half bathrooms. It was listed as having a $1,000 deposit and $1,149 rent.
He and his wife decided to go for it, so he texted the landlord and set up a time to view the home. Daniels went on to note how he asked standard landlord questions, such as about felonies, which he answered honestly. When he asked the landlord why the price was low, they said it was because it was hard getting people to pay the higher price.
They Visit The Property
They decided to see the property. When he and his wife arrived, they were asked to sign into what looked like the Invitation Homes website with a username and password the landlord texted over. However, it kept failing. Daniels also noted that while the TikTok profile had a white man’s picture, the landlord sounded Indian on the phone.
According to Daniels, the landlord started getting irritated when verification didn’t work. He asked him to download the app and make his own account to pass verification, which he did. Through this, he got a code for the door. The door opened, and Daniels and his wife looked through the “beautiful” two-storey home.
He asked the landlord again why it was so cheap, and he said nobody was paying or interested in the higher price.
Things Got Sketchy
Things took a turn when Daniels found the same address on the app. On the app, the house was listed as being $2,200 per month. He asked the landlord about the discrepancy, and he tried to explain it away by citing moving fees, application fees, and deposit. But this was inconsistent with the breakdown of the $2,200 charges on the app. At this point, Daniels asked the landlord why he wasn’t here. He said he was out of town.
In turn, Daniels said if he wants the house, he wants to pay the cash in person. While the landlord agrees with this, he says that if he wants to be considered, he still needs to pay the application fee.
The Scam Was Exposed
Once he leaves, Daniels gets emails about a house that appears to be from Invitation Homes. He calls the number on the email to say he found a house on TikTok, but what happened next is shocking. The worker said they don’t advertise on social media, and that the man is a fraud, as there are no individual landlords.
Daniels then showed the landlord’s TikTok feed on his phone to the camera. The feed is full of similar posts about houses to rent. He remarks that he’s scamming “so many people.”
Ultimately, he encouraged viewers to be “careful” about this “new type of scam.” He remarked that he almost got “hustled.”
“If you don’t feel at peace with something, if something ain’t right. And of course, and something I know if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” he said.
Daniels encouraged viewers to share this. He also looked through the account again and pointed out how many posts there were of houses all over Texas. As well as this, he showed how many people were commenting on these posts.
BroBible reached out to Daniels via TikTok direct message and Invitation Homes via email.
People Were Alarmed
Commenters commiserated with him.
“Anytime something looks to good to be true usually is,” one wrote.
“Sometimes even the comments are scammers too, or bots,” a second warned. “They add those comments so it can look verified.”
“Yup, anything on TikTok concerning homes is a fraud,” a third agreed.
While a fourth said, “PLEASE be careful opening any links, whether they’re in an email or text. I used to work for a major bank. they now have it to where simply clicking a link can install malware onto your phone or computer. they can then see all information in your phone. your pictures, saved passwords and your banking info, etc. your phone could already be compromised since you clicked the link that guy sent you.”
Woman Finds Own Condo For Rent On TikTok
Back in February, one woman had their own sore experience with a TikTok realtor—she discovered a video on the app which appeared to advertise her home as being for rent.
“This is my loft that I bought with my fiancé in 2024,” she said in her own video overlaying the advertisement. “This is my exact unit. Not for rent.”
The user then reached out to this TikToker to explain that her home wasn’t for rent. She shared the conversation with viewers.
“Not understanding why you are texting me?” the “realtor” wrote.
“Because you just posted a video of my house saying it’s for rent and it very much is not,” the TikToker responded.
The realtor replied, “A house and a apartment is two different things for one. Secondly I don’t care where you live I didn’t ask. Its not your house first off.”
However, the TikToker was blocked when they tried to respond further.
“Mind you, yes, this is actually my loft,” they insisted. “I own it.”