Finding a good vacation rental online can make you feel like you won the lottery, right up until you get there and realize the place isn't close to was advertised. The vacation rental business is booming, thanks to sites like Airbnb, Vrbo and others, but thereโs no shortage of fraudsters using fake listings to scam people out of their money.
โVacation rental scams can happen on any online platform,โ travel bloggerย Rocky Trifariย explains. โScammers are constantly testing new methods of deception with hopes of luring in unsuspecting victims.โ
To help make sure you donโt get conned, travel experts share signs of a fraudulent listing and how to avoid falling for a scam.
- The listing seems too good to be trueย - โFirst and foremost, if a listing seems too good to be true, then it most probably is,โ saysย Aiden Joseph, senior editor at The Broke Backpacker. While youโre searching, you get a feel for the pricing in different areas, if you see something thatโs an impossibly good value or that offers luxury features that donโt match the cost, travel expertย Blake Walshย advises checking the reviews and host to see if itโs real.
- The host pushes for external communicationย - Walsh says this is a big red flag, as itโs important to keep all communication on the booking site โto ensure the best security and safety for your details and information.โ
- They ask for direct paymentย - Scammers will often ask you to pay directly via Venmo, PayPal, Zelle or a bank transfer or wire, butย Mike Keenan, general counsel at the vacation rental company Evolve, recommends travelers only book and pay through the booking platforms.
- The reviews are questionable -ย Look for properties with a lot of reviews and actually read them so you know if they feel legit. Joseph says if a lot of reviews were written in short succession, or they use a lot of the same language, thatโs another warning sign.
- Thereโs pressure to book -ย If a host pushes you to book quickly, it could be a scam. Trifari notes, โHigh pressure sales tactics should always be your number one red flag.โ
- A Google search shows discrepancies -ย Vacation rental owners often list on multiple platforms, so Keenan advises searching for a listing on multiple sites to make sure theyโre consistent. Make sure details like location and amenities are the same on all listings and even do a reverse image search for the photos in the listing to make sure theyโre not just stock images or donโt go with the property.
Source-Huffington Post
Photo: Getty Images