Beware of fake last-minute offers on Mallorca and Ibiza!

The heat is hitting and those making last-minute decisions are looking for the last available holiday homes to spend a few days by the sea at the last minute. But our cooperation partners at Watchlist Internet warn: Criminals are trying to lure you into a trap with attractive offers! If an advance payment is required for a holiday home, break off contact, otherwise your money will be lost!

Be careful with these booking platforms for Mallorca and Ibiza

A villa in Mallorca, at an unbeatable price and available at short notice. Too good to be true, in the case of booking-mallorcahouses.com, bookingmallorca-villas.com and mallorca-rentvillas.com. Similar last-minute offers are also available on the holiday island of Ibiza: booking-ibizahouses.com, ibiza-villasrental.com and ibiza-bookingvillas.com are similar to the dubious offers for accommodation in Mallorca.

The scam: booking pressure through only short-term discount campaigns

With these last-minute offers, criminals demand advance payment from those affected, only to cancel the booking a few hours later. The money that has already been paid will supposedly be paid back, but those affected wait in vain for the transfer.

The company, which operates under the name “COSTA FORMENTERA” and “Homebase Ibiza SL”, leaves holidaymakers out in the cold after paying for their accommodation in advance. The sites are currently trying to entice last-minute vacationers to book quickly: “-15% discount applies to all bookings until July 28, 2022 BOOK NOW!”. Discounts are promised for quick bookings on the same day. They advertise free cancellations and a full refund. Those affected report that these promises are not being kept.

How to recognize dubious booking platforms

Here you can find out how to recognize dubious (last-minute) holiday offers and what you can do if you are affected.
 

• Lack of experience: Search for testimonials online. What do others say about the provider? If you find warnings, they say, stay away! Also keep in mind: If no reviews or experiences can be found, this is also a warning signal. You may be one of the first victims!
• Missing or incorrect legal notice: Always look for a legal notice and information about the company. Which company is behind it and where is it based? In the case described here, the imprint data has been stolen.
• No direct contact options: Are there contact options? Who can you contact if you have any questions? Always look for a phone number and email address.
• Unrealistic price & availability: If the price is unusually low, or if all offers for most dates are still available, this is an indication of fraud.
• Location: Check the location of the property. You can use Google Maps to check whether the accommodation actually exists at this location. If you are not given an exact address or it is not listed on the website - this is a warning sign.
• Inconsistencies on the website: Incorrect wording can be an indication of fraud.
    “Mallorca booking villas” and “Ibiza Villas Rental travel guide expert” – these sentences make no sense and, like grammatical errors, only partially translated texts and non-functioning links, are a sign of the provider’s lack of seriousness.

Have you already booked? This is what needs to be done

The criminals require their victims to pay in advance to book the villas. If you have already transferred money, you need to act quickly:

• Contact your bank or credit card company as soon as possible and find out about the options for getting your money back.
• Report this to the police 

Advice & Help
For specific advice requests, please contact the relevant offices that Watchlist Internet has listed for you Advice & Help

Source: Watchlist Internet

Please be careful here too: Beware of fraudulent booking websites for villas and holiday homes