This problem has now come about as people have largely become aware of other scams that the Nigerian teams pull off; typically through email and promises of large amounts of money. Instead the crooks have now turned their attention to new ways of conning the public and it seems the vacation rental market is now one of the targets. What happens is this: Someone posts a property on a rental web site, posing as the owner, and then collects deposits for future rentals on the property. If the renter then fails to check out the property or the owner via other sources and simply sends off a check, then the scammer wins. So what can you do to protect yourself? The first thing I would recommend is renting through a local vacation rental management company and making sure with the Better Business … [Read more...]