NY Attorney General Warns About Potential Summer Rental Scams | #datingscams | #lovescams

The New York Attorney General is warning residents about potential scams this summer that could ruin your vacation.

Vacation Rental Scams in New York State

There would be nothing worse than showing up to a dream rental house for your much-deserved summer vacation only to realize that it doesn’t exist. Full of wordplay, Attorney General Letitia James shared, “Summer plans can quickly melt if consumers aren’t careful when they book their getaway. Vacation fraud happens every year, but there are ways to avoid it and protect yourself from getting burned.” Here’s how you can make sure the rental you booked is legit.

Avoiding Scams in the Hudson Valley, NY

Some of this advice is the same you would apply if you were making any big purchase. Attorney General James warns that much like a sketchy Amazon product listing, the absence of any verified reviews on a rental could be a red flag. Additionally, a rental with several reviews that sound similar or use the same verbiage might be a sign that the reviews are fake and that the rental is a scam.

Reverse Image Search

You also want to avoid being catfished. Similar to online dating, you want to make sure that the pictures of the rental are actually pictures of the apartment. As made popular by the MTV show Catfish, putting a rental photo in a reverse image search can show if the photo is an original or stolen from another listing.

Summer Rental Homes in New York State

Guidelines set up by rental sites like Airbnb are meant to protect both parties, and it’s smart to adhere to all of them. For example, keeping all communication between you and the renter within the rental site’s messaging feature will create a traceable conversation that the company can review if you end up reporting a fraudulent listing. The same is true with payment. Using a credit card can help protect you from losing money, and paying through the site can keep everyone involved accountable.

If you want to keep it close to home this summer to avoid scam danger altogether, why not do it in your own pool? WRRV is giving away a FREE pool with installation from Pools Plus… and I can promise you it’s not a scam! Plus, check out these amazing options for a staycation right here in the Hudson Valley below.