Scammers setting up fake summer rental listings on Cape Cod
BOSTON - Criminals want to ruin your summer vacation. April is around the corner and scammers are already setting up fake rental listings to trick tourists on Cape Cod and steal their money.
"Try to go with your gut feeling, does it feel right, if it looks like it's too good to be true, it probably is," said scam victim Lauren Carr.
Take those words to heart from a scam victim hoping to warn others making summer plans.
A $1600 rip-off is how Lauren Carr and her friend learned the hard way, after heading to the Cape a couple of years ago.
What she thought was a sweet, last-minute Craigslist vacation rental deal, turned out to be a scam. She showed up to the rental house-the house was there-but the owner wasn't expecting them. Carr had already used the Zelle app to pay a scammer upfront.
"I sort of had that pit in my stomach like I knew immediately something doesn't seem right," said Carr. "It's hard enough to get scammed out of money but to show up on a vacation, you got your bags packed, we had dogs with us like it was not very-it was not a very good experience."
Lauren's scammers likely lifted pictures of the property. Scams like that are already popping up now.
The Better Business Bureau says it's one of the most common types of fraud of right now: crooks simply copy the photo and description of a property, then post it online for a lower price.
"There are properties that are being offered that aren't for rent at all, they're just pictures of people's homes," said Nancy Cahalen with the Better Business Bureau.
Coldwell Banker real estate broker Nick Nahid says crooks have no shame pretending to be homeowners or even real estate agents.
"I do real estate in Massachusetts, and I had a listing from a scammer who pretended to be me in New Jersey," said Nahid. "With technology everything is easier so the only way to combat this is with education."
The BBB says to avoid being a victim this summer:
- Find a way to verify the property, either by speaking directly to the owner or check public records the assessor's office.
- Book with a verified site that authenticates the seller and renter.
- Reverse images search the property pictures to see if they come up on other sites.
- Use a payment method like credit card where there is some protection built in.
- Never give up money upfront without seeing the property firsthand.
"Don't let them pressure you," said Cahalen. "Take a breath and take the time to really research."
Experts say the more you know, the more you can outsmart a scammer.
"They're doing it because they can get away with it," said Carr. "I'm glad you're letting people know to be vigilant and really be aware of these kinds of scams."
If you've been the victim of a scam, the BBB says to can go on their scam tracker and report it, that way you can help to warn other people and prevent them from being a victim too.
CLICK HERE to read more about scams. The scam tracker can be found here: www.bbb.org/scamtracker