New figures show accommodation fraud is up 30% on pre-pandemic levels.
As the new term begins, gardaí are appealing to students to be cautious, particularly those moving to Dublin - where about half of accommodation scams take place.
As the beginning of term looms, students are often left vulnerable to accommodation fraud.
Gardaí warn that these scams are up 30% on pre-pandemic levels with 1 in 2 victims being under the age of 25.
50% of cases occur in Dublin with €1,300 the median amount stolen.
Gardaí are advising house hunters to only use trusted landlords or letting agencies, to never deal in cash and to never agree to renting a property without first viewing it in person.
Officers also say foreign based landlords or those who only contact you through social media are other signs of a potential fraudster.
So far this year €291,000 has been stolen through accommodation fraud, compared to €250,000 in 2019.
