Beware of Summer Rental Scams
Apartment and home sales scams are not the only type of cons aimed at the retail real estate market. Crooks who engage in this con have figured out that summer home renters are far less likely to be suspicious. After all, these folks are in a good frame of mind when seeking a summer rental at the seashore, in rural forested areas, or even overseas. Another reason for a possible lack of caution is simply that there is less money involved than a home or apartment purchase.
This week, New York State Attorney General, Letitia James, issued a warning for consumers seeking rental properties.
“Summer plans can quickly melt if consumers aren’t careful when they book their getaway. Vacation fraud happens every year, but there are ways to avoid it and protect yourself from getting burned.”
Below are some pointers which should alert the summer vacation renter to the danger of a scam and how to avoid them:
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The biggest red flag is when you’re asked to leave a platform such as Vrbo or Airbnb to provide payment. The con artist may ask you to send $500 via an online payment platform such as Zelle. These transfers are instant and cannot be reversed. So, remember, to book a listing you found on a well-known website on that website only.
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The best payment method for any kind of vacation rental is a credit card, because then you have the protection of the Fair Credit Billing Act. If you are scammed, your credit card company can usually get your money back.
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Be on the lookout for fake listings. These will often appear as new posts with no reviews (although sometimes the scammers have their colleagues post fake complimentary reviews). When there are a few reviews, look for similar phrasing and vocabulary to tip you off that these are fake reviews.
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The listing may have grainy photos. By taking a screen shot of the photos and doing a search on Google Images, you can determine if it exists elsewhere. If the image shows up for another listing in an alternate location, it’s a scam.
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Also, message the owner before you commit. This messaging should only be done on the listing site. Another alert is a scammer may not get back to you quickly or respond in proper English.
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Be sure the owner has a valid address and phone number.
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Renters should never share their email address or phone number with a host before the booking has been accepted.