Gardaí in Cork are appealing to students to always view a property before handing over a deposit.
Accommodation fraud spikes in August and September as students are desperate to find a place to rent for the upcoming academic year.
Students say finding a reliable place to rent for the upcoming college year is extremely stressful.
Patrycja Zbikowska from MTU Student Union says students need reliable accommodation in order to focus on their studies
"It's even more stressful now, I believe, where there is so little accommodation for students, however, it's always been a problem. If you're starting college, we want students to come in and be able to focus on their studies, focus on socializing with new people. We don't want them to be stressed about where they're staying tonight. It's really important for students to be able to get accommodation that is reliable"
