How To Spot A Vacation Rental Scam

From Airbnb and Vrbo to Vacasa and Booking.com, the vacation rental business has certainly boomed in recent years.

While many travelers are convinced by short-term rentals because of their advantages of space, privacy and price options, these types of accommodations have also received negative media coverage due to reports of scammers using false information to rip off families of their hard-earned vacation dollars.

Vacation rental scams can happen on any online platform.Scammers are constantly testing new methods of deception in hopes of luring unsuspecting victims.

Of course, the vast majority of vacation renters experience simple, fraud-free travel.But it’s always best to think critically when booking a trip.

This list looks too good to be true.

First of all, if a list looks too good to be true, it probably is.

When searching for vacation accommodations, you can get a quick look at standard prices in different areas.Look out for listings that seem to offer excellent value for money, or those that offer luxury amenities that don’t match the price.

Whether it’s the overall price or the amenities offered, I highly recommend checking out the reviews of the property and the landlord to really get a sense of whether or not the deal is real.Trust your instincts!

The host pushes for external communication.

There are a number of signs to look out for when booking a vacation rental, one of the main ones being the landlord’s desperate need for outside communication.Be sure to keep all communications on the booking site to ensure that your details and information are best protected.

Hosts may offer to provide a phone number or WhatsApp link before or after you arrive at the house to facilitate communication.But if they insist on only talking outside of the booking platform from the start, it’s time to be wary.

They asked for direct payment.

Just as you should be wary of external communication requests, you should not agree to direct payments outside of the booking platform.

Many times scammers will ask guests to pay for their travel directly via Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, wire transfer, or bank transfer, so it’s important to book directly through the listing owner (e.g., Evolve, Airbnb, or Vrbo) using the safe method.Scammers will come up with all sorts of reasons for needing to make a direct debit payment, so we advise travelers to always be vigilant and only book and pay through established platforms.

Keep in mind that the security and other protections offered by trusted booking platforms can’t help you when you’re paying your landlord independently, so don’t let yourself be swayed.

Anchors may offer lower prices to customers if they agree to leave the platform, they may subtly sneak in links to get customers to leave the platform, or they may demand money through bank transfers or especially payment apps like Zelle.

These comments are questionable.

By booking through a reputable platform, travelers have the opportunity to see what other guests who have stayed at the property have rated it.Also, check out other review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp.

If the rental property has no reviews, this could indicate that it’s best to steer clear.But it could also just mean that it’s a new listing, so it’s best to check the landlord’s profile and their other properties for reviews.

Even if you see multiple reviews and they all seem relatively positive, you should keep a critical eye as you read them.

To protect themselves, vacationers should look for rentals with lots of reviews, then read those reviews carefully and check the dates to see if they’re legitimate.If a lot of reviews are written in a short period of time, or if they all use a lot of the same language, then that’s a huge red flag.

The pressure to book has also increased.

Potential landlords may let you know that demand is high, but if they seem to be constantly urging you to book as soon as possible, then this could also be a sign of a scam.

High pressure sales tactics should always be your number one red flag.If someone is putting a lot of pressure on you to make a quick payment or sign a lease before you’re ready, you should stop, take a step back, and ask yourself why.

Google searches show discrepancies.

It’s not uncommon for vacation rental owners to list their homes on multiple marketplaces, which is why we recommend searching for homes on multiple platforms to ensure that the information on each platform is consistent.

Ensure that details such as location and amenities are the same on each platform where the property is listed.Perform a reverse image search on the photos in the listing to ensure they are not stock photos or other misleading images.

You can also contact the booking platform at any time to check the property information and confirm its legitimacy.You can even Google the property address to make sure the street view matches the listing information.

None of your pre-trip questions have been answered.

Before traveling, I suggest you contact the landlord to make sure everything is in order and to ask any questions about the property.

Make sure you have received a confirmation email and keep up to date with new reviews posted on the listing.If you have any concerns, find out what information may alleviate your concerns and request that information.

If you deal directly with the so-called landlord, ask for a copy of their short-term rental license and registration certificate.This will ensure that they are registered to operate a short-term rental in their local jurisdiction and collect and remit the necessary lodging fees and taxes that would be required anywhere.

Verifying that your landlord has the proper licenses can minimize your chances of experiencing scams or unwelcome visits from certain authorities during your vacation in a rental home.

These documents are public records, so owners should not hesitate to provide them.If you want to take additional steps, you can take this information to your local government agency to double-check.

The links and language are slightly off.

If your workplace conducts training to help employees spot phishing attempts and other scams, you probably already understand the importance of reading carefully before clicking on a link or responding to an email.

Look for lots of spelling mistakes and strange sentence structure, which are common among scammers.

You should ensure that you use a verified Airbnb app or website.

What to do if you suspect you’ve been scammed.

If you have been the victim of any type of vacation rental scam, be sure to report it immediately to the website where you found the information as well as to your local or state authorities to help identify the scammer, seek a solution and prevent others from suffering the same fate.

Large rental companies have procedures in place to deal with such situations.If you discover a scam before sending any money or sensitive information off-platform, you should be compensated quickly and directed to other listings with trusted landlords.

Airbnb has security measures in place for fraudulent listings and offers guests four major protections, including “Get the Room Booked” and “Stay Guaranteed.”

Vrbo has also taken steps to prevent fraud, and its representatives offer travelers advice on protecting themselves when booking vacation rentals, such as choosing properties with top-tier landlords and purchasing travel insurance.

Although cases of fraud are extremely rare, Vrbo has a “Secure Booking Guarantee” that protects travelers who book and pay for properties through the Vrbo app or website.This protection includes payment protection against fraudulent listings, lodging assistance if a traveler is unable to check in, and rebooking assistance in the event of a last-minute cancellation by the host.

If you’ve paid a fraudster through an external service, the booking platform may not offer a refund, so you’ll have to get your bank involved.

Before verifying, you may need to contact your credit card company to dispute the charges.If you are booking through a platform, contact the platform to raise your concerns.While they have no control over these properties, they are concerned about their reputation and therefore may have other courses of action that you can take, or they may be willing to investigate.