By Joe Ducey | Better Business Bureau
So you booked your vacation months in advance.
Your rental home is paid for and ready for the family.
But when you arrive, the door is locked, the shades pulled and no one is taking your calls.
The vacation listing was fake and your money is gone.
A couple of years ago, I was a news reporter in Phoenix and covered a similar story. Travelers were showing up to a Scottsdale home with their luggage.
The owners found their home address had been fraudulently listed as a vacation rental with fake pictures and low prices.
The scammer posed as the owner, lured renters off the listing site and talked them into sending payment upfront.
Recently, the same thing was reported in Los Angeles County where travelers spent $400 a night for a home the real owners say they never listed to rent.
While popular vacation rental sites say they vet owners, these scams happen and you need to protect yourself.
Before you book a vacation rental:
• Find hosts with good histories and solid reviews. Airbnb labels their best as Superhosts and VRBO has Premier hosts.
• Compare prices. If the rental costs are well below others, it could mean trouble.
• Always pay with a credit card so you can fight fraud later. Once you send cash, it’s gone.
• Stay on the vacation listing site. Don’t be lured off to pay or chat.
You can also take the listing pictures and use them in a Google reverse image search. That will show if they are seen anywhere else online, possibly stolen from a homes for sale site.
If you spot a scam, report it to the listing site and to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. https://www.azag.gov/contact-us
Go to bbb.org https://www.bbb.org/
