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Hello,
I have recently found a listing for a seemingly wonderful apartment in Paris on the Avenue des Champs Elysees. I found the listing on craigslist and have been talking to the alleged owner for several days. After going back and forth on rental information, he has said he'd be willing to rent but has asked for a security deposit soon in order to secure the reservation for me until I arrive in Paris in January. I'm obviously very hesitant to send anyone money that I've never met or seen in person before, especially in an entirely different country. So, my question is, does anyone know a way in which I could ensure this guy is legit? Given that paris is such a large city, I am hoping there is some sort of system maybe people use in this situation to ensure they're not getting swindled. He's provided pictures of the alleged apartment, but those could be from anywhere. Regardless, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I would not pay in advance...
Please be careful.

to ensure the guy is legit, look at his website, browse the french yellow pages, try to find him on Facebook...
ask questions, ask for a phone number...

many guests are calling me because they're so scared my apartment is a scam which I very much understand.

and never pay the rent in advance. only a security deposit (10 to 50% of the rent) !!

possopo wrote:and never pay the rent in advance. only a security deposit (10 to 50% of the rent) !!

By the way, it seems that it's what the guy asked for...

It's a tough search. If you go through a legitimate company don't worry about paying in advance. With a private owner I would stay away from it.