Has anyone give a deposit on a rental with cash or money order

So we found the perfect house for us. She has a property management website. We have been emailing and she said she can’t show us the house until the 12th but we can still put an application and hold on the house if we want.

But we would meet her at the property and give 500$ in cash or money order.

It’s refundable but obviously there would be no proof we gave her that if this is a scam. I’m now feeling super paranoid. We are on a time limit right now where our lease is about to be up and we have not been able to get into any where. She said there are other applications in but no one has put a deposit in yet so we would get it first.

Idk what to do.

EDIT I also forgot to add that she said we will meet at the property but still can’t go inside ?! Ecsuse she doesn’t want to barge in on the tenants still living there. She said we can look at it on the 12th?