Summer Scams

Be extra vigilant this summer if you find a vacation that seems too good to be true. It just might be.  There’s also a reason to be cautious if you list your home as a short term vacation rental property.

Last April, a Calgary couple rented out their home to vacationers and when they came back the place was demolished after evidence of a ‘drug induced orgy’ that caused thousands of dollars in damage and the house was considered a bio hazard.  Now this from CBS News:

Attorneys general and consumer groups nationwide are issuing warnings as scams ramp up for the summer travel season. The scams come in many forms, from free-trip offers and supposed discount travel clubs to fake booking sites and phony house rental ads. The scams can come via email, phone, or even regular mail, and may make it seem like you’ve won something. As a general rule, if you begin to collect your prize and are told you need to pay taxes, certain fees or other charges prior to taking your “free” trip– it’s a scam. Additionally, a “discount travel club” that demands a lot of money up front may then magically have no rooms available for you when it comes time to book. Even vacation rental scams have gotten more sophisticated over the years– you’re likely to find one of these in online classified ads. The phony rental property will either be available at times when none usually are or will be at a far lower rate than normal. When the victim checks on the property’s availability they will then usually be asked to wire money to hold the rental dates and, then when they show up they discover the address doesn’t exist or that the property was not available to rent at all. Overall just be cautious and vigilant, make sure you’re working with legitimate businesses and trust your gut if something seems too good to be true.  (CBS News) (Image: commons.wikimedia.org)