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Scammers don’t take vacations!

Scammers don’t take vacations!

Planning a summer getaway and taking a vacation are exciting but before rushing into making a payment on the “perfect” summer house on the lake, be sure to review who you are booking with diligently.

Scammers often create fake listings, steal photos from legitimate sites, and misrepresent properties that do not exist to trick you into paying. Often the victims of this type of crime are not aware until they reach their destination and find out it does not exist or they did not rent the property through the proper channels. Read and understand all the terms and conditions before booking any vacation, rental site, or app. Understanding terms and conditions will ensure that you know what rights you have if your vacation doesn't live up to what was advertised.

The NY Attorney General recently recommended that “consumers take the following precautions before booking their summer getaway:

  • Verify the host. Make sure the renter or host has a valid address and phone number.
  • Make sure the listing has reviews and read the reviews. Be wary of listings on websites like Airbnb or VRBO that do not have any reviews listed. When reading reviews, check for multiple reviews that repeat the same phrases — that could be a sign that the reviews are fake.
  • Check that the photos have not been stolen from another website. Use reverse image search of photos of the rental to ensure that the photos have not been listed on another website.
  • Communicate only through the listing site before booking. One way that scammers try to trick consumers is by first posting a listing on a site like Airbnb or VRBO, and then requiring you to communicate directly with the host outside the website or app to book the listing. Do not share your email address or phone number with the host or renter before your booking is accepted.
  • Only book with a credit card or debit card. Use verified payment sources such as a major debit or credit card, which can be traced in the event something goes wrong. One advantage of using a credit card specifically is that you have certain protections under the Fair Credit Billing Act, which allows you to dispute unauthorized charges.
  • Only make payments through the listing site. If using a site such as Airbnb or VRBO, make all payments through the site, as they may be able to refund you if you are later defrauded.
  • Never make wire payments or cash payments. NEVER make a payment using a wire transfer service or money transfer service such as Western Union, Money Gram, Zelle, CashApp, or Venmo.
  • Rent security deposits. You may be asked to make a security deposit. Generally, you cannot be required to pay more than one month’s security deposit. The owner can apply the security deposit to cover any damages caused by you or unpaid rent but otherwise must return the deposit to you at the conclusion of the rental.
  • Know your rights. It is illegal for a host to deny a vacation rental to you based on your race, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, disability, or marital status. If you believe that you have been discriminated against or harassed based on any of these protected classes, you can file a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights.

To report a summer scam, contact the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Frauds Bureau.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact our office at 716-858-1987 or by email at consumerprotection@erie.gov.

New York State Attorney General. (2022, May 20). CONSUMER ALERT: Attorney General James Warns New Yorkers of Summer Rental Scams [Press release]. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/consumer-alert-attorney-general-ja…

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