Don’t get scammed by booking student accommodation that does not exist.
How can I check if a room exists?
- Does the ad sound too good to be true? Then it oftentimes is.
- You can easily check whether the building exists by searching the address on Google Maps or Google Earth. Look at Streetview, does it look like a student building?
- Look carefully at the photos. Are they real or photoshopped? Is the furniture in the right proportion?
- Are the photos taken from another advertisement? Check the image source via Google.
- Check whether the landlord's address and bank account are in Belgium before paying a deposit.
- Never pay via Western Union!
- If you have any questions or need help, please do not hesitate to contact your educational institution or Kotweb.
Did you become a victim of a scam or fraud?
- Report it to the federal report and SafeOnWeb
- Also report it to the police
- Have you provided bank details? Be sure to contact your bank
- Talk with a counsellor, either via the police or via your school
- Maybe you are insured for this? Contact your insurance company after you have reported it to the police
- Also inform your educational institution and/or Kotweb
