While we’d like to think everyone is honest and respectful of each other, unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Scams are a reality of the Internet. Despite this, Zillow strives to provide a safe online community where users can easily contact one another with advice and information relating to real estate.

Zillow is a media company. Put simply, we make money through advertising. Zillow does not handle money exchanges between buyers and sellers or tenants and landlords. Anyone telling you otherwise is probably trying to scam you.

Always be wary of giving personal information, financial information, or payments of any kind to people you don’t know personally. To reduce your chances of exposure to fraudulent activity and to ensure the best possible Zillow experience, please read our FAQ on Scams and Other Internet Fraud:

http://www.zillow.com/wikipages/Beware-of-Scams-and-Other-Internet-Fraud/