Where do I report a property or rental scam in Lebanon?
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Short answer
Report it to the Internal Security Forces (ISF) through the ISF Baligh service, the ISF app or the nearest police station[1]. According to Kallas Law Firm, fraud is prosecuted even without a complaint from the victim, so a police report can start a case[2]. If a broker was involved, also tell the brokers' syndicate, REAL[3]. To recover money, you will usually need a lawyer as well.
Also asked as: “How do I report a rental scam in Lebanon?” · “Report real estate fraud to the ISF” · “Where to complain about a fake landlord in Lebanon” · “What to do if I was scammed buying property in Lebanon”
According to Kallas Law Firm, the time limit for prosecuting fraud runs from the last payment, not from discovery[2], and our sources do not say how long that limit is. Report as soon as you notice. This page covers what was published up to 17 October 2026.
Key facts
- Where to report
- the ISF Baligh service, the ISF app or the nearest police station[1]
- Victim's complaint needed?
- Not for fraud, per Kallas Law Firm; breach of trust does need one[2]
- Fraud over land and buildings
- Covered by Art. 655 of the Penal Code, per Kallas Law Firm[2]
- Penalty for fraud
- 6 months to 3 years in prison[2], doubled in the cases listed in Art. 656, per Kallas Law Firm
- Time limit to prosecute
- Runs from the last payment, not from discovery[2], per Kallas Law Firm; its length is not stated in our sources, so ask a lawyer
- Broker misconduct
- Report it to the brokers' syndicate: contact REAL directly[3]
- Anti-money-laundering duties
- On brokers, notaries, lawyers and accountants under Law 44/2015[4]
Where to report: the ISF
The Internal Security Forces (ISF), Lebanon's police, take scam reports in three ways. You can use the Baligh service on the ISF website (isf.gov.lb), use the ISF mobile app, or go in person to the nearest police station[1]. The ISF listed these channels in March 2026, in a warning about fake rental ads aimed at people forced to flee their homes.
We do not print phone numbers here. Copy them from the ISF website on the day you report, so you are not relying on an old number or a fake one. Our sources do not say whether Baligh or the app accept reports filed from outside Lebanon, or in which languages, so ask when you first make contact. If you cannot get through from abroad, a lawyer in Lebanon can follow up for you.
Fraud over property under the Penal Code
According to Kallas Law Firm, fraud under Article 655 of the Penal Code can be committed over land and buildings, because the article names both movable and immovable property[2]. The firm's list of fraudulent acts includes three that matter here: disposing of property you have no right to, using a false name or false capacity, and making someone believe in a fictitious project. The penalty is 6 months to 3 years in prison, and it is doubled in the cases listed in Article 656.
A conviction does not by itself give you back your money or your property[2]. We found no source on how to claim compensation, so ask a lawyer about that. Forging a deed, an ID or a power of attorney is a separate offence, and our sources do not cover it. To spot the warning signs next time, see the red flags of a property scam.
Notaries, the Land Registry and brokers
Notaries do report suspected forgeries. In August 2026 the ISF said its Baabda Judicial Detachment had received reports from two notaries' offices, one in Jounieh and one in the Bekaa, about documents suspected of being forged, including powers of attorney, a title deed and an identity card[5]. In a 2023 case, a notary reported a forged non-revocable POA, and the Special Investigation Commission (SIC) later sent its findings to the General Prosecutor[6]. Under Law 44/2015[4], real-estate brokers have record-keeping and due-diligence duties, and so do notaries, lawyers and accountants who handle property sales. The SIC can also note on the property register that an asset is under verification, and it can ask the Public Prosecutor to freeze it.
We found no published way for a victim to alert a notary or a Land Registry office directly. What you can do is check the register yourself. The official extract lists the owners, mortgages, seizures and pending court actions on the property[7,8]. A notice of a court action can be entered on a property's record only by decision of the president of the competent civil court[9], so this step goes through a lawyer.
Move quickly, because someone who acquires a right while relying on the register keeps it, unless they knew of the defect[9]. In a June 2026 case the ISF reported in Halat (Jbeil), the title deed had been forged with a fake ID in the real owner's name. The buyer learned the deed was invalid only when he tried to register the property, after he had already paid[10]. See someone selling with a forged deed or a fake ID and how to check who really owns a property.
If a broker was involved, REAL asked in April 2026 that misconduct by any broker be reported by contacting the syndicate directly[3]. We found no published complaint procedure from REAL, and a report to the syndicate does not replace a police report. More in complaints and disputes with brokers.
How to report a property or rental scam
- Stop paying and save the evidence. Do this yourself, today. Keep the ad, the chats, the phone numbers used, the transfer receipts, and any contract, ID copy or power of attorney you were shown.
- Report it to the ISF. If you are in Lebanon, go to the nearest police station with your ID and copies of the evidence. You can also use the Baligh service on the ISF website or the ISF app[1]. Ask for a reference for your report and keep it.
- Call your bank or transfer company. The rental scam the ISF described in March 2026 took deposits through money-transfer companies[1]. We found no published rule on stopping a transfer once it is sent. Ask the company straight away what it can do, and get its answer in writing.
- Check the property's record if you own it or bought it. The official extract is requested in person at the land registry office for the property's area[7,11], so from abroad you need a lawyer or another person you trust in Lebanon to go for you. Copies from OMT or online are unofficial[7,8,12,13]. The request needs the governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block[7,12], where they apply. Legalmondo, a law firm, put the fee at USD 5[7] in June 2025; it may be charged in LBP, so confirm it with the Land Registry office before going. Kallas Law Firm gave about 2 business days for a physical certificate in October 2025[8]. According to Legalmondo, anyone may request an extract without showing a legal interest, but none is issued while a lien or a registration on the plot is still in process.
- See a lawyer about the court side. A lawyer in Lebanon can advise on compensation and on asking the civil court for a notice on the property's record[9]. If a power of attorney you signed was misused, Lebanese missions abroad handle revocations: the Consulate General in Dubai, for example, asks for a copy of the POA and charges AED 276 per signature (Dubai)[14,15], and the embassy in the Netherlands arranges it by email to its consular services. The mission pages do not say how a revocation reaches the notary or the Land Registry, so ask the lawyer to confirm that it does.
- Tell REAL if a broker was involved. Contact the syndicate directly, as it asked in April 2026, and still file the police report[3].
It depends on
- A rental or a purchase. The rental scam the ISF warned of in March 2026 asked for a deposit through a money-transfer company[1]; see how to avoid rental scams. Purchase frauds can involve forged deeds or POAs, which notaries have reported to the ISF[5].
- Where you are. In Lebanon, go to a police station. From abroad, try Baligh or the app, but our sources do not confirm that reports from abroad are accepted. A lawyer in Lebanon can act for you.
- A forged document. Forgery is a separate offence that our sources do not cover[2]. Ask a lawyer whether and how to alert the notary who handled the document; we found no published procedure for this.
- A broker. Contact REAL as well as the police. Before your next deal, work through the checks before you buy or rent.
Common questions
Can I report a property scam in Lebanon from abroad?
The ISF takes reports through its Baligh service on its website and through its mobile app, as well as at police stations[1]. Our sources do not confirm that reports filed from outside Lebanon are accepted, so ask the ISF when you contact it, and consider a lawyer in Lebanon to follow up.
Do the police need my complaint to act on property fraud?
According to Kallas Law Firm, fraud under Article 655 of the Penal Code is prosecuted without any complaint from the victim. Breach of trust, by contrast, is prosecuted only on the victim's complaint, except in aggravated cases[2].
Will reporting a scam get my money back?
Not by itself. A criminal conviction for fraud does not on its own return the money or the property[2], so ask a lawyer about a claim for compensation.
How long do I have to report property fraud in Lebanon?
According to Kallas Law Firm, the time limit to prosecute fraud runs from the last payment, not from discovery[2]. The firm does not say how long the period is, so report as soon as you can and ask a lawyer.
Sources
Checked against these sources. The numbers in the text point here.
- 1.The Internal Security Forces warn of scammers exploiting displaced persons through fake housing advertisements on social media platforms
Internal Security Forces (ISF), General Directorate – Public Relations Division · 8 Mar 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 2.Theft, fraud and breach of trust: how Lebanese law distinguishes the three crimes
Kallas Law Firm · 23 Aug 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 3.Syndicate of Real Estate Brokers follows what is circulating about suspicious activity in Hazmieh and Baabda
Annahar · 15 Apr 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 4.ABL compilation: Full text of main financial and banking laws 2015-2016 (incl. Law 42 of 24 Nov 2015 on cross-border cash declaration), French text
Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) · 24 Nov 2015 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 5.The Baabda Judicial Detachment arrests a dangerous wanted man who forged property deeds and documents and defrauded his victims of sums of money
Internal Security Forces (ISF) Lebanon · 17 Aug 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 6.Sanitized Cases – 2023 Forgery Report (STR)
Special Investigation Commission · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 7.How to Find Real Estate and Land Register Information in Lebanon
Legalmondo · 17 Jun 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 8.Lebanon Asset Search: How to Find Real Estate and Company Ownership Records
Kallas Law Firm · 25 Oct 2025 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 9.The Land Registry in Lebanese Law — Part Six of the Practical Guide to the Code of Real Property
Kallas Law Firm · 25 May 2026 · read 16 Oct 2026
- 10.ISF: arrest of suspect forging a property deed in Halat
Internal Security Forces (ISF), Lebanon · 24 Jun 2026 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 11.Inheritance in Lebanon: Probate, Estate Declaration and Inheritance Tax (2026)
Kallas Law Firm · 27 Jun 2022 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 12.OMT: Viewing Title Registers (Land Registry service page)
OMT (Online Money Transfer S.A.L.) · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 13.Viewing Title Registers Electively Through OMT
OMT (Online Money Transfer S.A.L.) · 13 Oct 2020 · read 17 Oct 2026
- 14.Power Of Attorney
Consulate General of Lebanon, Dubai · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
- 15.Power of Attorney
Embassy of Lebanon, The Hague · undated · read 17 Oct 2026
Related questions
- What are the red flags that a property deal in Lebanon could be a scam?The ISF's red flags: a deposit by money transfer before any viewing, and forged deeds, IDs or POAs. How to check a title before you pay.
- What checks should I do before buying or renting property in Lebanon?Get an official Land Registry extract before you pay, then check the seller, any power of attorney, permits and violations. Steps for buyers and tenants.
- Can someone sell my property, or one I buy, with a forged deed or a fake owner ID?Yes: 2026 police cases show forged deeds, fake IDs and forged POAs used to sell or mortgage property. How it worked and the checks to run.
- How do I avoid rental scams in Lebanon?Do not pay until you have seen the flat and checked its owner on a Land Registry extract. How the fake-ad scam works, the checks, and where to report.
- What can I do if I bought property in Lebanon with a forged deed?First get an official Land Registry certificate, then report the fraud and see a lawyer. What the law says, what to keep and what is still unknown.
- Where can I complain about a real estate broker in Lebanon, or sue over a commission?We found no official body for broker complaints in Lebanon. Report misconduct to REAL, fraud to the ISF, and take fee disputes to a lawyer. What the law says.
- How do I check who really owns a property in Lebanon?Get an official certificate from the Land Registry office for the property's area. What to give, what it shows, OMT and online copies, costs and fraud risks.
- How do I protect my Lebanese property from a forged power of attorney while I live abroad?We found no published way to lock your title from abroad. How to watch your folio, handle old powers of attorney and act if a forgery appears.
