It started in a WeChat group. One of those big housing threads where agents post endless photos of apartments that all look vaguely the same: clean, staged, and always suspiciously well-lit. I wasn't looking for anything fancy, just a decent one-bedroom near Jing'an, under 10k a month, close to a metro line.

SmartShanghai was the first place I checked, obviously, but I thought I'd cast a wider net. That was my first mistake.

The listing came from someone with a cartoon avatar and a username like "Cici_Aptz88." She posted four or five different units in the same group every day. The one I clicked on had everything I wanted: clean wooden floors, south-facing windows, IKEA couch. 8,000 RMB per month. Too reasonable to ignore.

We started chatting. She was fast to reply, polite, even sent me a little pin of the location. We arranged to meet that afternoon. She said she'd bring the key.

I met her outside the compound gate. She was friendly, talkative, mid-30s maybe. Wore a crossbody bag and New Balance sneakers. No agency uniform, though. She opened the door without issue, let me walk around, turn on taps, even commented on how quiet the neighbors were.

"I transferred 8,000 RMB for the deposit via WeChat Pay. She sent back a thumbs-up emoji and a photo of the key resting on her palm."

She handed me a short rental agreement in English. One-year lease, one-month deposit, one-month rent in advance. Standard stuff. I asked about the sofa—it looked old. She said, "I'll ask the landlord," tapped something out in Chinese, then nodded: "She agrees to replace it."

I should have paused. But everything felt smooth. The paper looked legit. The apartment was real. I'd just walked through it.

I transferred 8,000 RMB for the deposit via WeChat Pay. She sent back a thumbs-up emoji and a photo of the key resting on her palm.

Before we left, I made sure the key worked. We locked and unlocked the door together. "You can move in tomorrow," she said. "Just message me when you arrive."

I never heard from her again.

"It was the same door. Same apartment. But the key suddenly didn't work."

The next morning, suitcase in hand, I returned. Slotted the key into the lock. Turned. Nothing. Tried again. Jiggled. Pushed. Nothing. It was the same door. Same apartment. But the key suddenly didn't work.

I messaged her. Message failed. I tried again. Then realized I'd been blocked.

Gone. Vanished. No way to reach her. Her WeChat profile—deleted, scrubbed, or just locked away behind the block button.

I pulled out the rental agreement. There was a landlord name and a phone number. I called. Out of service. I tried again. Still dead. It was a fake.

"WeChat feels familiar. It's social. It's instant. But it's also completely opaque."

That's when I realized the whole thing was orchestrated. The agent wasn't an agent. The contract wasn't real. The apartment? Probably belonged to someone else. Maybe it was on Airbnb. Maybe she got the key from another viewing. Who knows. All I had was a receipt from WeChat Pay and a key that fit a lock. Once.

The scam works because WeChat feels familiar. It's social. It's instant. But it's also completely opaque. No verified identities. No way to look someone up once they block you. No recourse. No customer service. Just a cartoon avatar, a fake number, and your money gone.

"The agent wasn't an agent. The contract wasn't real. The apartment? Probably belonged to someone else."

I filed a police report, mostly for closure. They were sympathetic but didn't look surprised. There wasn't much they could do.

So here's the lesson: if you're renting in Shanghai, never send money to someone you met in a WeChat group unless they're tied to a real agency with a real business license. Don't sign anything in a hurry. Don't believe anyone who says the landlord "can't be there" but is fine with everything. And for god's sake, don't trust a cartoon avatar named Cici.

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Editor's Note: Names and details may be changed to protect the foolish.

If you're looking for an apartment, we strongly recommend using SmartShanghai's Housing platform. We only work with registered real estate agencies, we verify their licenses, monitor every listing they post, and follow up on user complaints. We've been doing this for 20 years, and we stand in between the agent and the renter to keep you from making bad decisions like this one. More on SmartShanghai housing and why it's a safer option to rent an apartment in Shanghai, here.