7 On Your Side's tips to identify vacation rental scams
7 On Your Side has the warning signs you need to know so you don't get duped out of your summer vacation rental.
Avoiding the sky has local rentals spiking and scammers are cashing in with fake listings.
If you're browsing online, stick to a trusted booking platform that has protections in place.
"Vacation rental scams are extremely rare when you are booking through a reliable platform," Melanie Fish with VRBO said.
You can reverse image search the photos to make sure they weren't snagged from somewhere else.
And never skip to the reviews.
Each out to past renters on social media and always keep communication and payments inside the rental apps.
"If you have been lured away to Cash App or to wire money, you are no longer protected," Fish said.
Here's what to look out for:
- Price is way below the market
- No reviews or new profiles
- Pressure to 'Book Now'
- Request to make the payment via gift card, crypto or wire transfer.
It's always best to:
- Use a licensed broker local realtors know the market
- See for yourself -visit the property - before paying anything
- If you can't make the drive, "check address" with local police or do a quick search of the address on the internet
- "Research ownership" - property deeds are public record and can reveal if you're dealing with an imposter
It's really easy to see what other properties are going for that same week or weekend.
If you have something that is way below market, there's a reason for that; if it's too good to be true, it's probably a scam.
