[IRL] I met the landlord, saw the room, they gave me the key to the house and told me to send them the deposit

A person viewed a rental room, received the key from the landlord, and was asked to send a deposit despite concerns about a potential scam. The landlord, who is leaving the country, offered to defer rent payment until the end of the month. The individual's mother warned about the risk of fraud, while others had also shown interest in the room.