Gardaí have issued a warning to students to be cautious of rental scams ahead of the new academic year.
They said around 33% of accommodation fraud reports happen between August and September.
Students are frequently targeted by scams where people pose as landlords offering accommodation that may be misleading or that does not exist.
Garda figures show that 34% of accommodation fraud victims are under the age of 25 and 66% of victims are under 33.
According to the figures, 54% of victims of accommodation fraud are male and 46% are female, while 30% of victims are Irish.
False websites are increasingly common as well as websites that appear as replicas of real letting platforms.
Scammers also use social media to target students, Gardaí said.
Gardaí have advised people to watch out for "red flags" including the landlord being unable to show the property in person or when payment is demanded immediately before signing the lease.
Other warnings include if there is a sense of urgency in paying a deposit and when communication with the landlord is only offered through text/WhatsApp or other social media platforms.
Gardaí advise students to only use recognised letting agencies or deal with people who are trusted.
Gardaí advise checking the URLs to ensure a website is real and to take note of the privacy and refund policy sections.
They also advised on insisting on a receipt, ensuring keys to the property work, and having the correct contact details for the landlord or letting agent.
Anyone looking for accommodation are advised to never agree to rent a property without viewing it first and to check if the property is registered with the Residential Tenancies Board.
In terms of payment, Gardaí have advised people not to pay cash or by Revolut and cryptocurrency wallets, but pay in a way that is traceable and/or refundable.
People are also advised to be cautious if a website is requesting for money to be sent to a PayPal address, by wire to Western Union or requesting to pay in iTunes gift cards.
Last month, 12 victims reported a loss of €20,746 from rental scams, an average of €1,729 each. The largest amount lost was €3,685 while the smallest was €380.
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