In Florida, scammers are deceiving tourists by offering to rent housing they have nothing to do with - ForumDaily
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In Florida, scammers deceive tourists by offering to rent housing they have nothing to do with

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has issued an official scam warning to tourists who plan to rent accommodation this summer. The edition told in more detail New York Post.

Photo: IStock

“Florida is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country. Fraudsters take advantage of this to create fake vacation rental listings in the hope of stealing personal information and money. Whether you're traveling in this state or out of state, be sure to take extra precautions when renting a home," Moody said.

Florida's beaches attract millions of tourists every year, but the state is also known for its huge number of scams. Some cybersecurity experts call Florida "the scam capital of the world," but rental scams have spread across the country. In July, the Boston office of the FBI warned Americans of a rise in rental fraud.

According to the FBI, crooks steal money from short-term and long-term rental scams. FBI data shows that 11 people reported losing a total of $578 due to these types of scams in 350, up 328% from 166.

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“I have heard of several cases where a family, preparing for a vacation, flew to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and then drove to a house that they rented from scammers. When the vacationers knocked on the door, the real owner of the property came out and said he didn't rent anything," said cybersecurity expert Hiram Del Amo.

He warns that vacation rental scams are rampant on Craigslist and Facebook. Some experts estimate that one in five online rental listings are fake.

Families who fell for this scam have lost thousands of dollars.

“We left Tennessee at 03:00 and arrived in Panama City around 11:30 in the morning. I just wanted to write to the landlord through Facebook, where we are, what we are driving and where we parked, and she blocked me, ”said one of the victims of such fraud, Katie Hall.

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Katie struggled to find a new place to live with her husband and their three young sons. The couple managed to find another place, but they never returned the money.

“The down payment we lost was $1425,” Hall said.

What you should pay attention to and how to protect yourself:

  • know that offers that require consumers to leave an online platform or website to pay are a serious danger signal;
  • Use a reverse image search to see if the photos of the property being rented are related to other listings.
  • if something seems suspicious, ask for additional photos;
  • use a reputable rental website that offers fraud protection or payment transfer options;
  • make payments through the payment portal on the rental website to ensure that the money is held in escrow until the keys are received;
  • don't rely solely on email to contact your landlord and be wary of ads with foreign phone numbers;
  • read reviews and, if possible, visit the property to make sure everything is up to par;
  • Pay your rent with a credit card, as fraudulent payments are easier to dispute.

“Never pay in cash, never pay by money order, and never pay in ways you can't get that amount back. Because that's what the scammers are looking for. They will never ask you for a credit card because they know you can get a refund,” Del Amo said.

Facebook and Craigslist advise users to beware of scams. Both companies have asked users to report any suspicious activity.

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