The family discovered the holiday apartment advert on eBay classifieds. After initial contact, they discussed the details with the alleged landlord via a messenger service. A rental agreement was also sent to them there. A deposit of several hundred euros was due, which they paid. When we arrived on Rügen, the shock was great. There was a house at the address mentioned, but there were no holiday apartments there. And the family could no longer reach the landlord, who had written shortly before their arrival.

So far this summer, no comparable cases have been reported to the Lippe district police authority. But the scam itself is not new: a service is promised, advance payment is required and after payment the providers can no longer be reached. What is particularly perfidious is that the injured parties not only lose their deposit, but also take the journey and are very disappointed on site.

In order to protect yourself from fraudulent holiday apartment offers, the Lippe police recommend that you critically examine the offers on the Internet. The fraudsters are often very clever, friendly and appear professional to their victims. However, there are a few indications that you should be skeptical about: if offers are amazingly cheap, providers are completely new users on the portals, advance payment or a very high deposit is required, unusual payment service providers are used or, for example, payment with “Paypal for friends” is urged. It's better to pay by credit card or direct debit. In the event of fraud, the money can be demanded back from the bank.

Source: Lippe police

Also read:

Vacation property fraud

Beware of fraudulent booking websites for villas and holiday homes


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