Message from Off Campus Partners (OCP)

The safety and security of everyone—especially students—are top priorities for us. We understand the importance of having peace of mind during the housing search, and we’ve outlined below the comprehensive steps OCP takes to protect users from fraudulent activity. Avoid Scams & Fraud.

If you encounter a listing that you suspect may be a scam, please notify our team immediately so we can take action to remove it and document the instance. Users can also flag listings directly on the site using the “Report an Issue” feature found on each listing, or by reaching out to our Customer Support team through the Help Center. Additionally, you can email us directly at ocp-scam@costar.com.

Manual Verification

Every new listing, user account, and payment on our platform undergoes a manual review by our Customer Support team. We actively look for any red flags, such as prices that seem too good to be true, discrepancies in property records, or images that don’t match the property description. Our team ensures that all details are accurate and legitimate before they are approved and made live on our site.

Internal Scam Monitoring System

We have developed a proprietary tool at OCP that monitors and flags suspicious activity on our sites. This tool identifies patterns such as the creation of too many email accounts within a short time frame or multiple accounts linked to the same phone number—key indicators of phishing attempts, marketing schemes, and spam. By targeting these behaviors, our tool helps to proactively protect our users and maintain a secure, trustworthy platform.

Advanced Automated Screening with Sift Science

In addition to our manual verification process and proprietary scam monitoring system, we have integrated an advanced automated tool, Sift Science, over the past year to further bolster our security measures. Sift automatically screens new listings and evaluates various risk factors related to user accounts, such as the age of the email address (as newer emails can often signal suspicious activity). It also flags unusual patterns, such as IP addresses that are out of the ordinary.

Listings flagged by Sift’s scoring system undergo manual review, after which they are either quarantined or approved based on our findings. As Sift leverages machine learning, it becomes increasingly accurate and effective with more data, making it a powerful tool for identifying fraudulent activity. This cutting-edge technology continuously strengthens our defenses, ensuring a safer experience for all users.

Education at Your Fingertips

Knowledge is power! Our “Avoid Scams and Fraud” educational page has been a valuable resource for site users, providing essential Scam Prevention Education & Tips. It’s also included on each individual owner listing via an “Avoid Scams” button/link.

What Happens When a User/Listing is Marked as a Scammer?

When an account is flagged as a scammer, their listing is immediately deactivated, and any emails they attempt to send are quarantined and not delivered.

If any students have communicated with the scammer, we proactively reach out to advise them against further contact. We also provide educational resources to help students stay informed and protected moving forward.