With the summer vacation and peak travel season approaching, many families and young people are booking vacation homes through online platforms, making them targets for scams. Recent media reports have highlighted several rental fraud cases, reminding the public to be vigilant and avoid falling into traps.
Living in New Jersey, the Tsimpedes family originally planned to book a beach vacation home through the popular short-term rental platform VRBO, but they unexpectedly fell victim to a scam. Stephanie Tsimpedes, speaking on the abc7 news program, recounted the incident where the supposed landlord requested payment outside the platform via Zelle and Venmo, totaling $7,000 in rent. It wasn’t until after the payment was made that they realized they had been duped.
Fortunately, with media intervention, VRBO provided a full refund to the victims, but such incidents are not isolated. VRBO spokesperson Melanie Fish warns that scammers often lure victims into making payments through channels outside the platform, using untraceable methods like cash, checks, Zelle, Venmo, etc. Furthermore, when people search for customer service phone numbers on Google, they may inadvertently contact fraudulent lines.
Apart from suspicious payment requests, fake landlords typically refuse to arrange in-person property viewings or offer various excuses to delay. If unable to visit in person, individuals should verify the property address, check if it is listed on other platforms, and verify if the contact information matches.
Additionally, when booking rental properties, it is vital to always complete all communication and payment processes through official websites, without being redirected to other sites or third-party applications to avoid falling into a scammer’s trap.
One of the largest credit unions in the US, Navy Federal Credit Union, also issued a warning. If a property listing seems too good to be true, it’s likely a scam. Urging quick bookings, requesting gift cards, prepaid cards, or cash transfers, or soliciting sensitive personal information like social security numbers should prompt an immediate halt to transactions.
Moreover, using a credit card for payments offers additional protection, making it easier to recover funds if fraud is discovered.