7 On Your Side's tips to avoid a summer rental scam

NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- 7 On Your Side has some important advice on how to avoid vacation pitfalls.

Beach rentals tend to book up earlier than any other type of accommodation, and most properties are already snagged for this summer.

If you're looking for a rental, be aware of some common scams.

These vacation rental scams don't discriminate. 7 On Your Side has had to help everyone from recent high school graduates to families. They all thought they were booked and paid for, yet got scammed.

"We paid the whole thing, $20,000," a scammed renter said. "They called the realtor, who said they never listed on VRBO, that we were in fact trespassing."

"I can't believe somebody would do this to a family trying to go on vacation and enjoy themselves," said Stephanie Tsimpedes, a scammed renter.

This Point Pleasant family sent $7,000 to a scammer who listed a house he didn't own, then convinced them to communicate and send cash via Zelle and Venmo off the VRBO app.

"After convincing us to send it to two different people, we realized it was a complete scam," she said.

VRBO refunded both customers after 7 ON Your Side got involved.

"We have entire teams routing out fraud, technology tools, you need to make sure you're booking and paying with confidence, so in that rare case you can be helped," said Melanie Fish, VRBO public relations.

VRBO rents 2 million properties worldwide.

Scammers will pressure you to send cash or a check fast and use a payment method off the site. There are also dummy websites that look super similar to a real one, so check the URL carefully.

"One of the hot scams out there is people who impersonate customer service phone numbers, so if you were to Google, there is a chance you are actually calling a scammer," Fish said.

Fake landlords or owners will refuse to show you the property in person. You should insist on a tour.

If you can't, then check the address to see if the listing appears elsewhere and displays the same contact information and other details.

Better yet, use a licensed broker.

The big takeaway:

• Don't be lured away from the website

• Never pay via gift card, wire, or cash transfer

• Pay with a credit card

• Be wary of deals too good to be true

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