BBB shares tips to identify vacation rental scams.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) – Vacation rentals are popular among travelers who want home comforts, like a kitchen or laundry machine, while on vacation.

Better Business Bureau recommends that vacationers look for “bait-n-switch” scams when booking a rental property.

Vacation Rental Scams: A Growing Concern

Some consumers who book vacation rentals find themselves victims of a bait-and-switch scam, where the scammer lists a vacation rental under an incorrect address. Some do this to skirt local regulations on short-term rentals and will usually send the consumer a follow-up message to give them the real address. However, others create fake listings for rentals that aren’t as pictured or don’t exist at all to cheat consumers out of their money.

The Alarming Statistics

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), they received 389 reports of rental scams and 425 reports of vacation scams in 2022. A 2019 Source