Pretty much every sentence describing that situation involves what should be pretty obvious risk or blatant red flags. Renting anything to others involves obvi

Pretty much every sentence describing that situation involves what should be pretty obvious risk or blatant red flags. Renting anything to others involves obvious risk. Subletting apartments involves obvious risk. Financial dealings with university students involves obvious risk. Classified ads involve obvious risk. Financial dealings with foreigners involves obvious risk. Accepting payment by check involves obvious risk. Back-and-forth payment shenanigans involve obvious risk. Dealing with financial institutions involves obvious risk. All parties involved with such an obviously risk-filled situation should inherently know to be on high alert at all times, no matter how desperate they might be. The involvement of desperation itself should raise even more red flags. It's hard to feel sympathy for somebody who has somehow managed to overlook one obvious risk after another in such a situation.